Ancient History
by Ima Nerdigurl
Summary: Bella is at her wits end. She has to make a change. And when she does, everything changes. What does she do when her whole world is flipped upside down?
1. Chapter 1

**AN:**

**First off let me get this out of the way... I in no way own ANY of the Twilight characters. As much as I wish that I did, they do not belong to me. S. Meyer is the lucky lady who gets to call them hers. All I own is my plot and the twisted things that I do to the Cullens in my mind. **

**Now, on to the fun stuff. This is the first venture for me in writing. I have been reading these for a year now and finally got up the courage to write one myself. I will try to update at least once a week. With that said, I have to let you know that I am pregnant and due in 2 weeks. So, RL may get in the way a little. I will do my best though. **

**I can't wait for you all to read this. And please, feel free to let me know what you think by leaving me your feedback in a review. **

**Love you all! XOXOXO ~SGR**

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><p>I've always loved school. I never had any real friends. So, I had nothing better to do than focus on my classes. Sure, I got teased. But, what high school experience isn't complete without being tortured some? I just figured that it builds character.<p>

But, here we are. I'm 18, and a senior. I've studied so much over the past four years that I could skip all of my exams and still graduate with an A average. Oh, did I mention that this is the week of our final exams? My locker is cleaned out, and as soon as my last exam is over, I am going home and packing my bags. I am getting out of here first thing tomorrow morning. Not just out of this small, podunk town, but the state as a whole. I've got to get away and start over.

I'm tired of always doing the right thing. Well, that's not true. I'm tired of everyone just expecting me to do the right thing, because that is what I always do. I never act out. But, all of that is about to change. It all ends today. I've decided that today is the day that I start writing my own story, instead of just acting out the story line that others write for me. I am going to get noticed today. And not just for having the highest test score or being the person everyone wants working on their group project. Today, I'm going to stir up trouble.

I know. No one thinks that I can actually get in trouble. But, I assure you; I have a brilliant plan that will make at least one person notice me. That one person just happens to be my History teacher, Mr. Whitlock.

You see… He's perfect. He has these gorgeous eyes that just see right through me. This smile that makes me want to give him whatever he wants. And, since we live in Arkansas, he has this accent that just makes me swoon. The way he says "Yes Ma'am," every time I get an answer right… WOW! And he has great shoulder length, thick, blonde hair that most girls would die for. Or, at least they would dye for. Oh, and he has this passion for history that is so intense he makes ALL of his students want to learn more. The way he lights up when he talks about the Civil War and what the South used to be like, it makes me wish I had been there. With him, obviously! So you see, he's perfect.

I've been trying to get his attention all year. I sat in the front. I always raised my hand to answer his questions. I _always_ had the right answer. Whenever we did a project, I made sure that mine was on a topic that I knew he was passionate about. Basically, I was the perfect student. But where did that get me? NOWHERE!

I know that he is a teacher and I am a student, but this is his first job out of college. So, I thought that he would at least look at me as something other than a kid. But, nope. It didn't happen. And since he is perfect, that leaves me at one conclusion. I am the imperfect one. Not that I ever thought otherwise.

Compared to Mr. Whitlock, I am a big ol ZERO! Ok, maybe not. But, I'm nothing spectacular, that's for sure. My stringy hair and eyes are the color of dog crap. I don't tan at all. I'm so short that I can't even reach the top shelf in my locker. Oh yea, and I'm about as clumsy as clumsy can get. I'm always tripping, falling, or running into something or someone one. The way I see it, that is why no one notices me. Least of all, Mr. Whitlock. So, like I said, today is the day that I am going to do something different. Today, I am going to get noticed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sadly, I do not own these characters. I only own what I do to them in this story and at night in my dreams. **

**I want to thank everyone who is back for the second chapter. I expecially want to say thank you to those of you who reviewed. You said you wanted something longer. I hope this is satisfactory. This is my first fic, so please feel free to offer any suggestions. I want to know what you want! **

**I also want to thank KrazyK85 and the ladies of Underfictionated for all of your encouragement. Without you, this chapter and this story would not be happening! **

**RL update: I will be delivering my lil man either this coming week or the week after. I will try to update as often as possible before then, because we all know that I can make no promises after. **

**I love you all! Thank you for sticking with me.**

**~SGR**

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><p>So, I guess if I am going to get noticed today, I have to actually make it to school. <em>Ok, Bella. Get up, get showered, get dressed, and get to class.<em>

The easy parts of the morning were the "get up and get showered" parts. But, now I find myself lost as I stand in front of my closet looking for something to wear to school. Normally, I would just toss on my holey jeans, favorite t-shirt, and flip-flops. But, I am supposed to get noticed. That means not wearing the same thing that I always wear. It also means not wearing something I am comfortable in.

Finally, after about 20 minutes of just staring at my closet like it's an alien, I see it. I know that I have to wear it, but I really don't want to. "What is it?" you ask. It's a dress. The only dress I own. And not just any dress. No, it happens to be a dress that looks more like a small bath towel. It is a strapless, black dress with sort of a sweet heart neck line. It hits my legs just above my knees. So, at least it isn't so short that I would be afraid to sneeze while wearing it.

But, now that I know that I am wearing _that_ dress, I have to wear _those_ shoes. You know the ones, the pair that you only buy because you have to have something to wear with _that_ dress. The shoes that I am most comfy in are TOMS and flip-flops. I tend to have my best balance when I am barefooted. So, when I have to wear shoes, I go for the kinds that are as close to being barefooted as possible. But, these shoes are heals. And they are not just a small heel. No, they are four inch heels. At least they are not stilettos. I guess you could call them chunky heels? And because the dress is black, so are the shoes.

As you can see, a strapless black dress and heels are a long way from torn up jeans, t-shirt, and flip-flops. Needless to say, I haven't even gotten dressed yet, and I am already out of my comfort zone. Today is going to be difficult!

Well, I suck it up and I get dressed. Then, I fix my hair in one of the few ways I know how to do it. I don't really know how to do much with my hair because when I was a little girl, my mother, Renee, decided that she did not want to be an adult with the responsibilities of raising a child, and she left us. And Charlie, my dad, didn't really know how to take care of a girl. So, I only have a couple options. It's either all up or all down. Today, I opt for all down. Honestly, I think it is my best look for today. Like I said before, my hair is stringy and crap-brown. But, since it reaches the middle of my back, it will cover my shoulders and the top of my chest. So, for once, my hair is my ally and is working to my benefit.

Right before I am ready to leave, I do my 2 minute make up routine. I toss on my foundation, a little shadow, mascara, blush, and tinted lip gloss and I am ready to walk out the door.

Just to make Charlie happy, I grab a granola bar for breakfast as I am running out the door. I would eat it in the truck while driving to school, but I'm too nervous to eat right now.

When I get to school, I just sit in my '57 Chevy for a few minutes to gather the courage to actually put my plan into action. When the warning bell rings, I realize that I will never have the courage. So, I just get out of the truck and head to my first test.

Fortunately, the class that I really want to get noticed in, my History of America in War class is my last class of the day. I still have to get through trigonometry, chemistry II, journalism, and lunch first.

As I am walking to my trigonometry class, I notice that everyone is staring at me. I am starting to really regret my decision to try to stand out.

I pass the "popular girls" and hear them talking. I actually hear one of the five girls ask the others "Is she new? Why would you start a new school on the last day?" Little did she know I have been going to school with her since kindergarten. Did I mention that no one ever notices me?

I just roll my eyes and walk past them. It is not their opinion that matters to me anyways.

When I make it into the class, I go to my seat in the front row and sit down. Some of the other kids start coming in. And even though I want to hide, I know that hiding won't get me noticed. So, I sit up straight and look at the door.

As soon as I look up, I make eye contact with the starting quarterback of the football team, Jacob Black. He is one of the few people who have noticed me for years. The only problem with him noticing me is that he is one of my biggest tormentors. He is a black haired, hazel eyed, tall, wall of man muscle. He is huge and he has used that to his advantage over the years. He has done things like walking into me when I am in line with my lunch tray causing it to spill my lunch all over me, knocking my books out of my hands at my locker and slamming my locker closed when I go to pick up my books, and pulling my chair out from under me in the class room just as I go to sit down. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that he is not one of my biggest fans. I am starting to wonder if I really am clumsy or if he is just an ass who happens to be there to screw up my day every time I turn around.

And now he is standing in the door way staring at me like I have a plant growing out of my head. Fortunately for me, Mr. Smith chooses that moment to walk into class.

"Mr. Black, I know that running the local auto shop for your daddy does _not_ require you to pass your final exams or even graduate. But, I would really appreciate it if you would _**MOVE OUT OF MY WAY**_ so that the rest of the class can start their exam."

After that, all you could hear was laughter. As a student, you don't want to mess with Jacob. But, as a teacher, Mr. Smith can say whatever he wants and there is nothing Jacob can do about it. I have always enjoyed this class, if for no other reason than the fact that Mr. Smith always gives Jacob a hard time.

So, Jacob finally takes his seat and Mr. Smith passes out the exams. We have two hours to complete the test. When I finish, I look up and notice that only an hour has passed.

As I am raising my hand to let Mr. Smith know that I am finished, I see him watching me. It is not like he was looking around the room and just happened to catch my eye, or he was looking up at that very moment and fate was working against me. No, he is looking at me in a way that makes me wish I was sitting in the back of the class. I don't like the way that he is looking at me. And yes, I see the irony in that. I would be jumping for joy if Mr. Whitlock would look at me like that.

Thankfully, Jacob raises his hand and distracts Mr. Smith. Jacob says that he needs to go to the bathroom. The only problem with that is we are not allowed to leave the room once an exam starts unless we are done and we turn in our tests.

"But, Mr. Smith, I could do serious damage to my bladder if I have to hold it for another hour. Do you really want that on your conscience?" Jacob is really pushing it.

Next thing I know, Mr. Smith decides to teach Jacob a lesson at my expense.

"Mr. Black, if you would shut up and finish your exam, you could leave after turning it in like Ms. Swan. Isabella, you may leave if you wish. Just make sure that you are on time for your next exam."

I'm mortified. Jacob already hates me and this is just going to make it worse. But I grab my test and turn it in as I am walking out of the classroom. I figure I can hide in the library until my chem. II exam. The library is the only room in the school that Jacob is certain not to go in.

My heels echo on the tile floor as I walk through the nearly empty hallway. I am almost to the library when I realize that I am going to have to walk past Mr. Whitlock's classroom and see him for the first time today. I quickly decide to turn around and go to the restroom first. I want to check myself in the mirror before I get to see him.

I slip into the restroom and check my reflection. I run my fingers through my hair and try to get it to do something other than just hang there. When I am as satisfied with my appearance as I am going to be, I leave the ladies room.

I make a special trip in the wrong direction to my locker so that I can reapply my tinted cherry lip gloss. When I shut my locker door, I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. I turn towards the library and start my journey over again.

I get a few feet from Mr. Whitlock's room and I feel like my heart is about to jump out of my chest. I have to force myself to continue walking. The door opens right as I am about to pass his room. I instinctively look down so as to avoid the torture that is sure to come my way.

And that is when I hear the most heavenly and seductive voice ever. But, what throws me off is what I hear the voice say, not what it sounds like. And it stops me dead in my tracks.

"Ungh! Now that's something worth starting a war over! You get all sexed up for me Darlin?"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:**

**Let me start off by saying I do not own any of the Twilight characters. Sadly, S. Meyer owns them all. I simply play with them in my dreams. ;)**

**I want to thank Korry and Lindsey for prereading and beta-ing. Without them, this chapter would not be possible.**

**Now, on to my FAB readers. This chapter was really hard for me to write. So, please leave me a review once you have read it. I want to know what you think. Even if you thought it was awful, please let me know. **

**Ok, I'm going to hide under Mr. Whitlock's desk until the reviews come in and I know it is safe to come out. **

**Happy reading!**

**XOXO**

**~SGR**

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><p>Last time on Ancient History:<p>

_And that is when I hear the most heavenly and seductive voice ever. But, what throws me off is what I hear the voice say, not what it sounds like. And it stops me dead in my tracks._

"_Ungh! Now that's something worth starting a war over! You get all sexed up for me Darlin?"_

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><p>I can't believe what I am hearing. Without looking up, I turn around to see if there was someone behind me. As my eyes sweep across the empty hall, my breath catches. My heart is beating wildly. I feel like it is about to pound a hole in my chest.<p>

Finally, as I turn around, I make eye contact with the source of the voice that stars in my dreams every night.

The way he is staring at me makes my face heat up as redness covers my chest, neck, face, and ears. I have never been more thankful for the dim lighting in the concrete hell that is the locker filled hallway.

Thankfully, my brain, mouth, and voice decide to start working together at that moment.

"I'm sorry Sir, were you talking to me?"

_Please say yes. _

_Please say yes. _

_Please say yes._

I hear the chorus repeating itself in my head, over and over as he just stands in his doorway staring at me. I watch as his eyes sweep over my body from my head to my toes and back up again, until he is making eye contact with me once more.

Then, I hear that heavenly voice once more.

"Yes Ma'am. How 'bout we step inside my class room and finish this little talk?"

I am at a loss for words. But, who am I to deny him a conversation in private?

So, I nod and follow him into his empty classroom. As I walk towards his desk, I hear him shut and lock the door behind us.

I can't believe I'm here. I mean this is the perfect time for me to do what I wanted to do today. But, now that I'm here in his classroom, just the two of us, I don't know if I can follow through with my plan.

I'm so lost in my thoughts that I'm unaware of him walking up behind me until I feel his breath on my bare shoulder as he speaks to me.

"Ms. Swan, you look absolutely sinful. Please tell me you didn't get all dolled up for the tools in your classes."

I'm shocked. I have to repeat what he just said in my head, which is a little difficult. All I can think about is his warm, sweet, honey-like breath washing over me, taking over all of my senses.

I slowly exhale as I try to gather my thoughts.

"Um… I really didn't think anyone would notice. Or, at least, I didn't think the person who matters would notice. He hasn't yet."

The truth somehow just flows right out of me when I am nervous. And I can't seem to make it stop.

"All year I have been trying to get this person to notice me. I thought I was doing everything right, but nothing worked."

I can't stop rambling and I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm an idiot.

"I don't know what else to do. I've tried being perfect at everything. I've tried to be the best that I can and I've always paid attention when he spoke. I just don't get what I am doing wrong. I know that he is older than me, but not by much."

"Ahem"

I'm brought out of my ramblings by the sound of Mr. Whitlock clearing his throat.

"Bella," the gruffness of his voice is new to me "How could someone _not_ notice you? He must be a fool."

Wait a second. _WHAT?_

"What? No, you've got it wrong. I'm the fool, not him. He's perfect. He's the kindest guy I know. He is so smart and he has the most gorgeous, soul searching eyes. I'm not surprised that he hasn't noticed me."

"But Bella, he can't be that smart if he hasn't noticed you. I may be over stepping my bounds, but who is this guy anyways?"

Oh my God! He has no idea that he is it for me. How am I supposed to tell him that? How am I supposed to actually tell my teacher that I did all of this to get his attention? I obviously did not think my plan through if I am having problems just telling him that it is him.

But, I take a deep breath and just do it.

"You are," I say so quietly. Inwardly, I am hoping that he didn't hear me.

"Come again."

I sigh and close my eyes. I don't think I can stand to see the look of disgust that I know will grace his perfect face when he realizes what I have said.

"It's you, Mr. Whitlock."

I hold my breath for what seems like an eternity, just waiting for his verbal reaction. But, it doesn't come.

After what feels like forever, I feel him run his finger down my cheek. He stops it under my chin and says what I have been waiting for him to say all year.

"Look at me, Beautiful."

Once I shake off the goose bumps that have overtaken my entire body I open my eyes and look at him. I'm thrown off by what I see. His eyes are heavy with lust as he licks his lips.

"How can you think that I haven't noticed you? You're my student. I've had to restrain myself every day to keep from throwing you across my desk and having my way with you."

"Mr. Whitlock, what are you talking about? Why would someone like you notice me? I'm nobody."

He laughs at me. The guy actually laughs at me!

"Bella, please, you can't honestly think that you are nothing. You are smart and beautiful and too good for any of the guys at this school. I've wanted you since the moment that you stepped in to my class in August. But, as my student I couldn't act on those desires. However, after today, you won't be my student anymore and you are already 18. So, there is nothing to stand in our way."

"Are you trying to tell me that you noticed me without all of the makeup, the dress, and these heels?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"Oh. Does this mean that you don't like all of this? I can go change if you'd rather."

"Bella, I've waited for you for nine months. I don't want to wait another minute. What I do want is to show you how I feel."

At that, he puts his hand on my lower back and pulls me to him. I'm glad that he has taken control because I don't think I could even if I had to.

With one hand on my lower back and the other at my chin, he positions me in front of him as he leans towards me. I feel like I am in a scene from my dreams when his lips brush against mine. He is tentative and soft with his kiss, gauging my reaction.

It is a good thing that he has a hold of me, because I almost collapse at the sensation. I close my eyes and lean into his kiss. As it deepens, I feel his mouth open and his tongue press against my lips, seeking entrance.

I open my mouth and take him in. I hear a husky moan escape him as our tongues dance together in pure bliss. I finally find the courage to move my extremities. I run my hands up his hard chest. When they reach their destination, I fist his perfect hair and pull myself closer to him.

I can feel his erection as he pushes up against me, walking me backwards to the wall behind his desk. When my back hits the wall he breaks our kiss. Our chests are heaving as his places his forehead against mine and looks deeply into my eyes.

"Bella, are you sure this is what you want? If I keep going, I won't be able to stop myself."

In answer to his question, my hands leave his hair and find the buckle of his belt. I don't take my eyes from his as I work to unfasten his pants. I'm anxious to show him how much I really want this. When I feel his pants slide out of my hands, I reach for his erection. He grasps my hair in both of his hands as I start to lower myself to my knees. I get almost at eye level with his rock hard cock when he stops me and gently pulls me back up.

"I'm sorry. I thought that you would enjoy that. I just want to make you happy."

"Please, I don't need you on your knees to make me happy. I just want you."

With that, his hands leave my hair and slide down my back. They don't stop until they reach the hem of my dress. He pulls my dress up to my waist and lowers my underwear so I can step out of them. Once he has successfully removed anything to get in our way he reaches into his desk and pulls out his wallet. I see him take out a small foil square and rip it open. I take the condom from him and roll it on to his hardness. When it is properly covered, I place one of my heels on his desk. He takes that as an open invitation and slides two fingers into my wet folds.

"Oh my God, Bella. You are so ready for me Baby."

He removes his fingers and grabs my ass to pull me closer. His mouth seeks out mine again as he pushes me back against the wall. I wrap my legs around his waist as he lifts me off the ground. With my body secured between him and the wall, he slides his cock into my tight wet pussy. The feeling of warmth and fullness washes over me as he pushes all the way into me.

As he buries his face in my neck, I hear him let out a groan of pure pleasure.

"UNGH! Baby, you feel so amazing."

Once I feel myself stretched to fully take him in, I start to move. I can only hope that I am doing this right. I'm bouncing up and down on his cock with my head thrown back against the wall when he tries to still me.

"Bella, if you keep that up I'm not going to last long at all. You gotta slow down, Darlin."

At this point, I am so overwhelmed by the emotion of this moment that all I can do is moan and grunt.

"Hey," he grabs my face to look me in the eyes. "Are you ok? We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"I. UNGH. It… feels… I… want… You… OH MY GOD!"

I can't even form a coherent thought. It feels so good.

He lets out a soft giggle as he moves his hand from my face and places it back on my ass. He takes control once more and starts moving me up and down on his hard shaft.

I have never felt this good before. I manage to find my words in my lust filled haze.

"It feels… so good… Don't stop… please."

I start to feel a tingle building in the pit of my stomach.

"Oh God, It feels… I feel. Oh… Mr… oh GOD… Don't… Stop…"

At that, he holds me tighter with one arm and starts searching with the other hand. I have no idea what he is searching for. But, I figure it out when his fingers come in contact with my clit. He starts rubbing and pinching and I feel the tingle in my stomach turn into an all out fire. I have never felt this good before. The fire moves through my entire body and I can't take it anymore. I let out a sound that can only be described as a primal and guttural shout.

"Oh Darlin, does that feel good? Tell Daddy how good he makes you feel."

"Yes Sir… It… feels…UNGH… never knew… oh…Oh…"

I scream out as my orgasm rips through me.

"OOOOHHHH GGGGGOOOODDDDDDD!"

As I am coming down from my high I can feel him pulsing inside me, relishing in the bliss of his own orgasm.

When we are both left spent and panting I hear the familiar sound of the school fire alarm going off in the hallway. We reluctantly separate ourselves and clean up quickly as we are throwing our clothes back on.

We manage to get outside without anyone questioning why we ran out together looking barely thrown together. I have no idea why the alarm didn't become quieter as we moved away from the school.

I hear my name being called in the distance.

"Bella, make it stop."

I'm confused as noise continues and the voice gets louder.

"Damnit Bella. Turn off your fucking alarm."

I shake the confusion from my head as I recognize sound of my alarm clock and the voice of my husband waking me from the best reoccurring dream that has been plaguing me ever since I married Edward, about four months ago. I groan rolling over to shut off the alarm and start my day. I plaster a fake smile on my face before I look at the source of my unhappiness. Waking from that dream tells me that today is going to be a bad day. All of the days with Edward Cullen are bad days, but they seem to be worse after dreaming about Mr. Whitlock.

Even nine years later, I can't get him out of my head.

"Why are you just sitting there staring at the floor? Go make coffee and breakfast. If I'm fucking late to work because of you again, I swear Bella, you'll be sorry."

What he doesn't know is, I'm already sorry.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own the character. Sadly, I only own the plot.**

**Please read the AN at the bottom of the chapter. **

**~SGR**

**Warning: This chapter includes some domestic verbal and emotional abuse. If that is not something that you can handle, please do not force yourself to read in on my account.**

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><p>Last time on Ancient History:<p>

"_Why are you just sitting there staring at the floor? Go make coffee and breakfast. If I'm fucking late to work because of you again, I swear Bella, you'll be sorry."_

_What he doesn't know is, I'm already sorry._

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><p>I slip my feet into my black fuzzy slippers and walk across our master bedroom towards the bathroom. After I take care of my morning routine I grab my robe and head towards the kitchen.<p>

I get coffee started and pull out the makings of ham and cheese omelets and fruit salad. While the coffee is brewing, I head to the sink to start washing and slicing the fruit. I manage to finish the fruit salad just as the coffee pot stops.

"Babe, coffee's done."

I don't get a response. So, I grab his favorite mug and get his coffee ready for him. As I walk into the bedroom, I hear the shower running. I continue into the bathroom and set his coffee on the counter.

"Edward, your coffee is next to your toothbrush. Do you want one or two eggs in your omelet?"

"Whatever." He answers me with no gratitude for the fact that I am up an hour and a half earlier than I have to be just to do all of this for him. But, why should today be different from any other day?

With a smirk playing on my lips, I fight off the urge to flush the toilet and steal all of his cold water as I walk out of the bathroom and head back to the kitchen.

When I get back to the stove, I start making his omelet. Since he could not give me a straight answer, he gets one egg. If he is still hungry after that, he can fix himself a bowl of cereal.

As I am putting his breakfast at his spot on the table, I hear him slamming stuff around in the kitchen.

"Good morning to you, too. What are you looking for?" I say to him, even though I'm sure I don't want the answer.

He stops his search to glare at me. I risk being the target of his wrath for yet another morning and I ask him the most rhetorical question known to man.

"Is something wrong?" _Duh, Bella. Clearly something is wrong_.

"What the fuck do you think? I burned my mouth on the coffee that you brought me. It was so hot I dropped my mug. It shattered all over the bathroom floor and got hot coffee everywhere. Stupid Bitch, can't you do anything right?"

At this point, my eyes are full of tears, but if he sees them it will just make the situation worse. So, I turn away from him to grab the mop and broom.

"Your breakfast is on the table. You go eat and get ready for work. I will clean up the bathroom."

"You're damn right you will," I hear him say as he walks past me.

I can't believe this is what my life has become. I try to do everything perfectly. I clean the house every weekend, but since I don't get up early every morning and do it before work like his mother, it is not good enough. I am the sole caregiver of our dog, even though it was his idea to get the little guy. I work out on my lunch breaks instead of eating, because he yells at me about being fat. Just to clarify something for you, his idea of being fat is 20 pounds heavier than the charts said a girl my height and age should have been in 1990. I guess compared to the druggies he is used to being around, I am a blimp. I work my ass off every day, but we are always broke because he can't stop spending our money on whatever his addiction of the week just happens to be. And when he wants to go out and do stuff, but we can't afford to, and it's my fault because I am the one who balances our checkbook.

As I am cleaning up his mess I let the tears fall. I work silently because I know that he doesn't care to hear anything that I have to say.

When I have finished in the bathroom I put the broom and mop back in the kitchen. His dishes are still sitting on the table. I don't know why I thought that he might have actually dealt with them, but part of me was hopeful. While I am washing his dishes at the sink, I hear the front door slam and his truck pull out of the drive.

I guess he isn't going to say anything to me before he leaves. It's probably for the best anyway. I don't think I can stand there and take him yelling at me anymore without breaking down.

_What a way to start the day!_

I decide to not let him get me down too much and I head for the shower. I get myself ready for work and head off to my job at the local child care center.

It really is a shame that my double major in journalism and marketing are going to waste in this small town. But, when Edward packed us up and moved us up here, the only job I could find was teaching toddlers.

There was a time when we lived in a town with a population of about 50,000. But, he didn't like about half of the people in that town. I'll let you in on a little secret, the half he did like all happen to be white. So, he decided to buy a house and move us to a little redneck town with a population of 437 and almost as much water as land. Our house is about 30 minutes south of the Missouri Compromise Line.

As you can imagine, there are no jobs in this town, unless I want to work at the bait shop. NO THANK YOU!

I'm on my way in to work when the emotions of the morning get to me. I start to cry again, only this time I don't have to worry about Edward seeing my tears. But, now I can't make them stop. I am at work just sitting in my car, crying and I know I will get fired if I am late, so I just have to go inside and clock in.

I pass my boss's office on the way to the time clock. Jane is a nice enough woman, so I am not surprised when she asks me to step into her office after clocking in.

"What's up boss?"

When she looks at me I can tell that she is actually trying to professionally separate herself from my personal life. But she just isn't succeeding.

"Bella, is something going on at home? Everyday since you started working here you have come in upset either first thing in the morning or when you come back from lunch. I know it's not really my business, but you can talk to me if you need to."

I'm shocked. I really can't believe that she can read me that well after only knowing me for a month. Before I can do anything to stop them, the reality of my failing marriage consumes me and I turn into a sobbing, hiccupping, puddle of emotions.

"I… I… I just… Oh GOD… I can't…"

I can't even form a word and I am sobbing so hard that I can't breath. Jane steps out of her office and starts talking to my co-teacher across the hall. I hear her tell Angela that I am helping her with something in the office and I will be in the classroom when we have it finished. A few minutes later she comes back into the room and hands me a cold bottle of Mountain Valley Spring water.

I drink half of the bottle before I am able to breathe and form more than two words.

"I'm sorry, Jane. I don't know where to start."

She looks at me with kind eyes, but something is off. I don't know if I am just imagining things because of the emotion of the day or if my instincts are right. Deep down, I feel like maybe I'm the only one who feels this isn't my fault.

"Bella, why don't you just tell me what happened today?"

I want to tell her. I want to tell anyone who will listen. However, a part of me knows that saying it out loud actually makes it true. Once I release this information into the universe, it actually means that this is what my life has become. I decide that there is no getting around it and I start to talk.

It seems like I talk for hours and hours, but really it is just minutes. Finally after telling her about this morning, I feel the urge to tell her about all of the other times that he lashed out at me, but I don't mention them. And I'm glad that I hold my tongue, especially after what I hear her say next.

"So, you are all messed up because you gave him coffee that was too hot and it put him in a bad mood? That's just how all guys are. Eventually you will learn how to not make him upset. For instance, maybe you should have put an ice cube in his coffee to cool it down before you gave it to him. It would have avoided the confrontation and shown that you care."

I can't believe what I am hearing. She is actually siding with him and blaming me for what happened. This is worse than that lady who sued McDonald's because she spilled her hot coffee on herself. She actually had a case because the lid did not say "Caution: HOT" and she ended up with burns on her legs.

I try to argue with her, but I know it is no use. I don't tell Jane about the time that Edward broke the broom throwing it through the wall in the garage causing it to actually come into the living room because it was hot out and he had to mow the yard. I don't tell her about the holes all over the house because he can't control his fists. I don't tell her about Edward spitting in the face of his best friend, Carlisle, at work one day because Carlisle asked him if he needed help with something.

I also don't tell her about an awful day in my life. The day that Edward came home and the power was out, because he had not paid it. He got so mad that he threw his phone across the room and shattered it against the wall. So, naturally, he gets in his truck and leaves. While he was gone, I heard from my family that my grandmother had passed away. I could not get in touch with Edward and didn't know where he was. I had decided that leaving him a note was the best thing to do. So, I wrote him a note explaining that Gran passed and I had left to go be with the family. I told him that I would be back that evening.

Later that night, when I got back home he was so mad at me. I mean, what was I supposed to do? Not going to be with my family was not an option. He thought that I wasn't going to come back. Edward actually told me that he thought I was lying about Gran. So, as if losing her wasn't enough, I had to put up with him being a complete and total ass to me the rest of the night.

I can't tell Jane about all of those times, because I know that she thinks it is all my fault. I give up on getting any empathy from her and I go to my classroom.

I try not to let Edward get to me too much through out the rest of the day. That is pretty easy when the kids are around. It is amazing the way that they just light up with unconditional love for you. It is also the exact opposite of what I experience at home.

When I go to lunch I call him. No matter what happens I always try to make an effort to make it better.

As soon as he answers the phone, I can tell that not only has his mood not gotten any better, but it has actually gotten worse.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Edward, I was just calling to say that I'm on my lunch break. Is there anything that you need me to do while I'm out?"

I try to do something nice for him but, like always, it backfires on me.

"Bella, all you need to do is get your fucking lazy ass back to work. I can't believe this shit."

_Huh?_

"You can't believe what? What's going on, Babe?"

"Well, Bella, I came to the bank to pull out some money. I thought we could make a run this weekend. But, what do you think happened once I got here? Where the fuck is our money? What did you do with it, you lying bitch?"

I knew it would come out eventually. But I never thought it would be today.

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><p><strong>AN<strong>:

**I know this chapter was not as long as I wanted it to be. Part of that is because it was really hard for me to write. The situation that Bella finds herself in actually happened to me. It was really hard to put myself back in that place. The next chapter is going to be very difficult as well. The other reason that this was not as long as I wanted it is because I wanted to get something to you as soon as possible. I go in to the hospital on 6/22/2011 to give birth to my first child. I was desperate to get something to you before I had him. It will be a few days before I will be able to write again, but I promise the next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it there. **

**If you have any questions or comments about the situation in AH, please feel free to review. As hard as it is to relive it, I know that talking about it is the only way to keep it from happening to others. **

**I have a fantastic Prereader and Beta who are very supportive of me throughout this writing process. I love them both for all of their encouragement!**

**I love my readers too!**

**Please review and let me know what you think.**

**~SGR**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Sadly S. Meyer owns them. I only own what I do to them.**

**I want to thank everyone for sticking with me. My last post was over two weeks ago, but the week that I posted, I had my first kid. I now have a 16 day old son. He has taken up so much of my time. That is how it is supposed to be, but I hate that I had to leave you all hanging so long. So, thank you for sticking with me through it all. **

**Warning: Doucheward has a love of VERY colorful metaphors. At one point he does use GD. I am going to apologize now for those of you who will be offended by this. I do not use that word in my RL. But Doucheward is a direct representation of my ex husband. And GD was one of his favorites to throw at me when he was mad. He only used it at me because he knew how much I hated it. Please forgive me for trying to remain accurate to the person he is based on.**

**Special thanks to my wonderful beta, Lindsey, who edited this on her vacation. I picture her lounging on the beach while reading this… *JEALOUS*.**

**Ok, there will be more at the end of the chapter. Some things to explain, but don't want to give it all away now**.

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><p>Last time on Ancient History:<p>

"_Well, Bella, I came to the bank to pull out some money. I thought we could make a run this weekend. But, what do you think happened once I got here? Where the fuck is our money? What did you do with it, you lying bitch?"_

_I knew it would come out eventually. But I never thought it would be today._

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><p>I just sit there for a few seconds. I know that he is going to get so mad at me for what I am about to tell him. But, I also know that I cannot put this off any longer. So, I take a deep breath and I just tell him.<p>

"Well, Edward, we spent too much money since we moved up here. Between the runs every weekend, the gas it took to make them, the boat rides, the eating out, and the nights at the pool hall, we ran through all of our money."

What I don't tell him is that the reality of it is _HE_ ran through our money. All I ever spent money on was groceries. I think it is funny that he gets mad at me for spending $100 on groceries, yet he will spend at least that much on his drug of choice just for one week. The irony is not lost on me.

Even though it makes perfect sense to me, I know that he is not going to see it that way. I brace myself for the fallout that I know is headed my way.

"What do you mean 'we spent too much money'? How could we have gone through all of that money if you were balancing our check book? Why didn't you tell me when we got low? Or better yet, why didn't you tell me the first time that you had to transfer money?..."

He is still yelling at me as I pull the phone away from my ear. I know that I should have told him, but it is hard to talk about money with him when he is always so angry all of the time.

When I finally hear him quit yelling at me I put the phone back up to my ear. I hear nothing on the other end. I am hoping that he hung up. But, I know that the chances of that are slim to none.

"Edward, are you still there?"

"Yes, Bella, I am still here. I am waiting for you to explain yourself. How could you have let this happen? How will we make our next mortgage payment?"

I'm still in shock that this is all somehow my fault.

"Well, I made sure that we had enough left in our savings account to make all of our bills this month. And with my job, we will have enough for next month."

Once again, I hold my tongue and don't say what I really want to say. I want to tell him that maybe if he could keep a job longer than a couple of days, or hours like the last one, we would have nothing to worry about. But, as it is, he starts a new job every week. One of his jobs lasted all of 45 minutes before he came back home and wanted to go rent a boat and spend the day on the water.

Or I could tell him that there is no way for me to keep up with our account when he spends the money that I make without telling me or giving me receipts.

But, I don't say any of that. Instead, I take the blame and his wrath, like I always do. I listen to him yell at me and call me names until it is time to go back to work. And when I walk back into the center, I see the looks from my boss and coworkers.

I go about the rest of my day ignoring everyone and trying not to cry every time someone actually manages to make eye contact with me.

Eventually I am going to have to go home, and that thought scares me. Edward will be there and it will be just the two of us. I won't be able to avoid him or his wrath.

When the time comes, I gather my personal belongings and I make my way to the truck. I dial his number and wait for him to answer.

"Yo…" He says in a tone that tells me that he is nowhere near over our earlier conversation.

"I was just letting you know I am on my way home."

"Jesus Christ, Bella, I don't need a play by play."

Before I have a chance to respond, the line goes dead. I can't believe that he actually hung up on me. But, I'm also kind of relieved. I've been yelled at enough for one day and I know it will continue as soon as I get home.

Just as I predicted, the yelling, name calling, and accusations continue for the rest of the night. He calls me everything in the book. And I just sit there and take it.

When I go to let out the dog, Edward decides to turn his wrath on the innocent animal. Poor dog has been locked away in the bathroom all day because Edward does not trust him loose in the house. The little guy is house broken already, but Edward does not believe me. So when he starts yelling at me about the dog, I try to ignore him as best as possible. But, that is really hard to do.

When I get back inside, I fix us dinner. I try to make something that I know he will like. So, I make spaghetti with sautéed chicken. I prepare it in a red sauce for myself and an alfredo sauce for Edward.

Edward walks into the kitchen and starts digging around in the freezer.

"I'm already fixing dinner for us" I tell him in the hopes that he will stop rummaging through the freezer for something to eat.

"I want cheese fries."

I take a deep breath and calm my anger. It is not like it is going to do me any good after all.

"I'll make them for you. Why don't you go relax and pick out a movie to watch?"

He practically throws the bag of frozen French fries at me as he walks past me grunting.

Once I have put the fries in the "Fry-Daddy", I head to the fridge to grab the bacon bits and shredded cheese.

I hear him cussing in the living room and I step in to figure out what is going on.

"This damn dvd player is not working. What else is going to go wrong today?"

I step into the living room to see what exactly the problem is. It seems to me that the hook ups are not plugged in correctly. But, if I say something, he will tell me that I am stupid and couldn't possibly know what I am talking about.

So, as per usual, I don't say anything.

When I walk back into the kitchen I see that the fries are done. I take them out of the fryer and put them on a paper towel covered plate. I sprinkle the bacon over it and add the cheese last. As the cheese is melting I head over to the stove to check on the sauces. My sauce is fine. But Edward's alfredo sauce has started to thicken up. So I add a little more of the sauce from the jar and a little more milk to the sauté pan.

As I am stirring the sauce, I hear Edward's cussing coming closer and closer to the kitchen. He enters the kitchen and sees me still working on his alfredo sauce.

He makes a straight line for the cheese fries. After tasting one, he lets out a sound of sheer disgust.

"Fucking great! The fries are cold!"

I walk over, take the plate, and stick it in the microwave. He is standing at the stove when I turn around.

"If you would time dinner better and not plan so poorly, everything would get done at the same time. But, NO. As it is, my fries are cold and disgusting."

I start seeing a common theme for the day as I hold my tongue yet again. I don't tell him that it would all have been fine if he had not been messing with the DVD player for 30 minutes.

When the sauces are done, _again_, I set our plates and get our drinks. I take our food and drinks into the living room, where he is waiting.

I'm none too thrilled when he starts the movie. He has chosen "Christine" for the millionth time. Even though he knows that I hate that movie, he insists on watching it and forcing me to watch it over, and over, and over again.

I sit down and start eating my pasta. Next thing I know, he is yelling again. And, yes, it is my fault. Apparently his fries are gross and he can't eat them. He still has a bowl of really good chicken alfredo spaghetti, but he is bitching about how he can't eat his dinner.

He gets up and stomps into the kitchen to empty his plate and bowl into the trash. As he makes the entire house shake with the pounding of his steps, the dog cowers into the space on the floor between my feet.

The rest of the night goes on like that. Edward blames everything on me, I take the blame with my mouth shut, and my poor Pup just doesn't leave my side because he is so scared.

When it comes time to go to bed, Edward grabs his pillow and goes to sleep in the guest bedroom. I know that we are fighting, but I didn't really think that it was that bad.

I try to sleep in our bed, but I am up all night tossing and turning. I know that he is, most likely, not sleeping. And if he doesn't sleep tonight, my life tomorrow will be even worse than today was.

As the morning light filters in to the bedroom, I realize that I must have drifted off at some point. I get up and head to the kitchen to start coffee.

When I get to the coffee pot, I see that it has already been made. The house is so quiet that I know the silence only means one thing. Looking out the window, my suspicions are confirmed. Edward's truck is gone.

The weight of how damaged our marriage is hits me, as I am getting ready for work. For the second day in a row, I go in to work crying. I somehow manage to make it through to lunch. When I go to call Edward, he does not answer. The rest of my workday is relatively uneventful.

When I get home, he gives me the silent treatment. Eventually, he goes to bed in the guest room.

The next week could be made of scenes from the movie "Groundhog Day". Every day is the same as the one before. I wake up and he is gone. He does not answer my calls. I come home from work and he either does not speak to me or he just yells at me all night. He refuses to eat dinner with me. And the evening ends with him sleeping alone in the guest room.

At the end of that week, I wake up to the now familiar sounds of an empty house. I go to work and try to get through the day. But, something feels off about this day. It feels like everything is finally coming to a head.

I am tired of being married to someone who doesn't want to be around me. And, frankly, I don't really want to be around him either. What I really want to do is forget all about him and go home. But I don't know how to do that.

When it comes time to go home, I am dreading the scene I know I will find myself in before the night is over.

Sure enough, as soon as I pull into the driveway, I see him in the back yard working on clearing some of our land. When I stop to ask him about his day, I am surprised that he acknowledges me at all.

"Edward," I wait for him to make eye contact with me. After about a minute he looks up at me and glares at me like I just killed his family.

"What, Bella? What do you want now?"

I am so sick of his attitude always being directed at me.

"I just wanted to see how your work day went."

"REALLY! You want to know how my day went. Well, let's see."

I know that he is about to unleash on me. I brace myself for the fire that is coming from his eyes and the swords in his words. I am already sorry that I asked and he hasn't even gotten to the worst of it yet.

"To start off with, I did not get any sleep last night because I couldn't stop thinking about how much you screwed us over. Then when I finally decided that I could not sleep any more, I got up and went in to work early. The only good thing that came from that was that I did not have to look at your disgusting, lying face this morning."

I cannot believe that this is what I am married to. Why am I married to someone who is disgusted by my face? His attitude has always been bad, but it has never been this hateful. As I come out of my inner thoughts, I realize that he is still ranting at me.

"I've been there for just over a week and that piece of shit that the boss had training me didn't do a GOD DAMN thing. He made me do all of his fucking work. I just couldn't handle it today. And when that shithead started giving me attitude about me doing his fucking job wrong, I gave him a piece of my mind."

He gave him a piece of his mind? Great! This is just what we need. One of these days he is going to piss off the wrong person and something really bad is going to happen.

Once again, I pull myself out of my inner ramblings and realize that he is still going on about his day.

"Then that mother fucker went to the boss and told him that I was refusing to do any work. What a little titty baby! I can't believe he told on me. And he lied about it too. I guess I'm the only one who knows how to tell the fucking truth around here."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

"What did your boss do, Edward?"

The only reason I even said anything was to let him know that I was still listening. But, I know that he will continue with his ranting even without my prompting. And he does not disappoint.

"What do you think he did, Bella? He called me into his office and told me that my attitude was not needed in his company. Can you believe that? He thought I was the one with the attitude. The nerve of some people!"

At this point, he is all out yelling. It takes everything I have not to cringe away from him with every word he spats at me.

"I mean, I have to deal with all of this shit at home, and I go to work and have to deal with it there. I can't believe that ASSHOLE fired me! And all because I wouldn't do someone else's job for them."

What am I supposed to say to that? I can't tell him that he lost his job because of his bad attitude. I can't tell him that it was his fault that he lost this job, just like all of the jobs in the past. I want to tell him those things, but I know better. So, I keep my mouth shut.

While he is still yelling about how it is not his fault that he lost his job, and how he is the only honest person still left on this planet, I start looking around for the dog. When I realize that he is not outside with Edward, I risk interrupting him to figure out where the little guy is.

"Um, Edward, where is Pup?"

"Really, I just lost my job and we are broke, but all you care about is that stupid dog? What the Fuck, Bella?"

"I was just wondering where he was. I didn't see him out here in the yard with you."

"He's still in the bathroom. I wasn't really worried about the damn dog when I got home."

When is he ever worried about the "damn dog"?

"Well, I am going to let him out and let him go to the bathroom and eat. Then I will get started on dinner."

I really am trying to lighten the mood. Unfortunately for me, nothing lightens his mood.

"Do you really think that I could eat after the day I have had? I'll just get a bowl of cereal. At least you can't fuck up a bowl of cereal. Or, well, you can't fuck it up if I make it myself."

Geez, when is this crap going to end? I can clearly see that he is still blaming me for his fries being messed up last week, among other things.

I am so sick of this! I know that I have already said that, but there is nothing else to say about it. I only see one way out. But, I have to at least give him the benefit of the doubt, even though he never gives it to me.

"Edward, I have a question to ask you."

I know that his answer to this question is either going to be our saving grace, or my way out. I hold my breath and wait for him to acknowledge that I have spoken to him. When he looks up at me, I exhale slowly and gather my courage.

"I know that things are difficult right now. And I know that it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But, do you even want to be happy anymore?"

There, I said it. I put it out there. His response will tell me everything I need to know about the direction of our relationship. I wait for his answer, which is more than just an answer. It is either a chance to fix things or it is the end of my marriage.

He has a look of pure shock on his face. He actually has to think about his answer. That is not a good sign. It should be an easy answer. How hard is it to say "Yes I want to be happy."?

Finally, he opens his mouth and I hear the words that seal my fate.

"No, I don't want to be happy."

He said it. He actually admitted it. I can't believe it. I'm floored that he finally said what I have suspected for months now. But, as shocked as I am by his revelation, I'm sure he will be even more shocked by my actions caused by said revelation.

"So, Edward, tell me this, if you don't want to be happy, what is the point in me even being here? What am I doing if you don't want any of it?"

I'm not going to let this go. I can't ignore this anymore. I have to act on this. I have to change my life, even if it means walking away from him.

He just stares at me. He doesn't even have anything to say.

Finally, after what seems like hours, but is actually only seconds, I turn around and head into the house.

I grab my suitcase and walk into the bathroom. As I am putting my toiletries in my bag I hear his footsteps come up behind me.

"Bella, what do you think you are doing?"

"I can't stay here anymore, Edward. I've got to go. You aren't happy and you have no desire to be. I am miserable. You have been angry with me and ignoring me for a week now. I deserve better than this."

"What are you talking about? You can't just give up and leave. I can't believe you are just going to quit and walk out like that!"

I decide that talking to him is going to get me nowhere. So, I ignore him and just focus on packing my stuff.

I manage to get all of my basics and a few outfits packed up. I load that stuff into my truck and head back into the house to pack up the dog's stuff.

Every move I make, Edward is two steps behind me. It almost seems like he is afraid that I am going to take something of his.

I get all of Pup's stuff packed up and get it in the truck while I am still ignoring Edward's berating and stalking. All I have to do now is get Pup and get the hell out of there.

I go into the house and get Pup in his carrier. Normally, I would just let him ride in the cab, but we have about four hours of drive time ahead of us, and it is already dark. I just don't want to risk him getting hurt.

Just as I am closing the gate to his carrier, I notice that Edward did not follow me in here. I walk back out to the truck and load Pup in the cab.

I turn around to find Edward and tell him that I am leaving. I don't have to search long before I hear his voice on the back deck.

I stop walking before he can see me and I listen to what he is saying.

"_She is leaving me… No, I don't get it either… I didn't know that anything was wrong… She just came home and announced that she was leaving… She told me that she loved me, but I guess that was a lie too…_"

I can't take it anymore. I step around the corner.

"I'm leaving now, Edward."

I turn away from him and start walking back towards the driveway.

"_Hey, Man, I'll call you back once the lying bitch has left… Yeah, I'll hit you up in a few minutes… Later_"

I am so angry; I can't help but let the tears fall.

I make it to my truck, but somehow he beats me there. He stands in front of my door and tries to stop me from getting in.

"Bella, think about what you are doing. Is this really what you want? I thought that you loved me."

"Edward, I do love you. But, sometimes that isn't enough."

"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I'm not enough? My love is not enough? Tell me what you mean."

"Geez, Edward, it doesn't even matter anymore."

"Yes it does, Bella. Tell me what you mean or you won't be able to leave here on your own. Answer me or Charlie will have to come up here and get you."

WHAT? Did he just threaten me?

"I just meant that love is important, but it isn't enough. It takes more than just love to make a marriage work. Now, Edward, please move so I can leave."

"Whatever, Bella, I'm done with you anyways. I can't take this anymore. I can't trust you and I can't stand being around someone I can't trust."

With that, he moves out of my way. I get in my truck and I pull out of the driveway. I know that I will have to come back later and get the rest of my stuff, but all I can think of now is getting away from him.

It is 9:00 at night as I pull into the closest gas station to the house. I have been on the road for about 20 minutes at this point.

I walk into the store just as the clerk is turning out the lights. The idea of having to go further out of my way before I can head home breaks me. I start bawling.

"I… I… I just need… I have to… Sorry… I have to…"

I can't breathe I am crying so hard. I just know that the clerk thinks I am crazy. But, instead, he walks over to me and looks at me with kind eyes.

"Honey, are you ok?"

His kindness is enough to calm me slightly. I am still crying, but I am able to talk without hyperventilating.

"I just, I need to fill up my truck, but I only have cash."

"It's ok Darlin'. Just fill it up and then come in and we will settle up inside when you are done."

"Okay."

I fill up my tank and walk in the store. I grab something to drink and a snack to help keep me awake while I am driving.

"Ok, Honey that will be $46.79."

I hand over the cash and I start to walk out.

"Thank you so much."

I get back to my truck, get in, and start her up. Once I am back on the road I pick up my phone. I don't have many people back home, thanks to Edward, but I do have a few. I need to let them know I am coming home, find a place to stay, and hopefully get some distraction from the past week of my life.

The first person I call is my father. I am afraid of Charlie's reaction. As Chief of Police I know that he will want to take action. But, as my father, I just want him to comfort me and let me come home.

The phone rings three times before I hear him pick up. His voice sounds groggy. I immediately feel bad for calling him this late. He was probably asleep due to working the early shift at the precinct.

"Um… Hello?"

The sound of his voice brings me home and makes me start crying.

"Oh, Dad… I just can't do it anymore. I left Edward and I'm on my way back home. Can I come stay in my old room until I can get on my feet?"

"Wait a second Bells, you did what? What do you mean you left Edward?"

That is not the response I was expecting. I thought he would want me home. If he doesn't support me in this, my older cousin Emmett might be my only other option.

"Well, Dad it got really bad. Edward was so angry all the time. Pup and I are on our way home. Can we stay with you for a while?"

I wait for a response, but hear nothing on the other end. I am about to hang up and call Emmett when I hear what sounds like Charlie loading his shotgun.

"I'm on my way, Bells. Just stay where you are and I will come to you. I can't believe that bastard hurt my baby girl."

Wait! What? This is not going how I wanted it to go. I only hope I can calm him down before he hangs up and heads up here.

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><p><strong>AN<strong>:

**Ok, I am sad to say, YES I was married to this person and this was the last week of my marriage. This chapter was directly taken from my life. The conversations actually happened. The only major differences are, I drive a Honda accord and I came home to my Momma.**

**After this chapter I will start working in fiction again. Some of the situations will be based on fact, but not all of them. **

**To answer your question… Yes, Jasper will be a part of the story again. Just hang in there and know that I am not going to leave him out. It would not be a Bells/Jas fic if he was only in one dream sequence.**

**I love you all so much! **

**Reviews are like Doucheward getting a swift kick in the nuts and a knee to the face while he is bent over. **

**XOXOXOXO!**

**~SGR**


	6. Chapter 6

Ancient History

Shattered Glass Rose

Chapter 6

**AN: **

**Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns all characters. I only own the plot and what I do with the lovelies who live in my world.**

**There will be some processes in this story that I will skim through. Certain things take a few months to go through in Arkansas, but I am speeding through those for the sake of the story. I love you all and can't wait to read what you think about where I am taking this. From here to the end is less RL inspired and more imagination inspired. I hope you enjoy.**

**(Recs and info at end of chap)**

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><p><strong>Last time on Ancient History:<strong>

_I wait for a response, but hear nothing on the other end. I am about to hang up and call Emmett when I hear what sounds like Charlie loading his shotgun._

"_I'm on my way, Bells. Just stay where you are and I will come to you. I can't believe that bastard hurt my baby girl."_

_Wait! What? This is not going how I wanted it to go. I only hope I can calm him down before he hangs up and heads up here._

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><p>"No, Dad! Don't come up here! I'm coming home. I'll be there in a few hours."<p>

I get no response and I start to panic. If he comes up here, there is no telling what he will do. And I really can't afford to bail Charlie out of jail if I am going to have to pay for an attorney and a divorce.

"Dad! Charlie! DAAAD!"

I start yelling at him over the phone, but he is not there anymore. I can hear him moving throughout the kitchen and living room. If he was not so anti-technology, I could just hang up and call his cell phone. But, he does not have one. That is one of the first things I am going to fix when I am home.

So, I do the next best thing. I hang up and call Emmett.

It rings two times before he picks up.

"Hello?"

"Emmett? It's your cousin."

"Which cousin? I have several. Well, on Dad's side I have several. On Mom's side, I only have one. And I never hear from her. So, this must be a McCarty, not a Swan."

He has a teasing tone to his voice. Emmett is always the jokester. One time when I was six and Em was thirteen, he convinced me that there was a monster living under Gran's guest bed. Later that day, I went into that room and was sitting on the bed. Next thing I knew, I was screaming and because there was something under the bed that grabbed my ankle. Emmett almost peed his pants laughing at me. Gran was so mad at him. None of us told our parents. Instead, Gran helped me get back at him. After he went to bed, we took all of his clothes. We soaked them and put them in the freezer. That next morning, he had to wear one of Gran's dresses while his clothes were in the dryer. We thought it was pretty funny.

"Emmett, it's Bella, Charlie's daughter. I'm sorry I haven't been around, but I need your help."

I know I sound flustered, and I know that he can hear it.

"What's wrong Belly Bean? You sound upset."

"I am upset, Em. I left Edward tonight. I'll explain later. But, right now, I need you to go to Dad's and make sure he doesn't leave. I was on the phone with him and he got mad at Edward. He loaded his shotgun and told me he was coming up here. Then I lost him. I think he put the phone down and walked away."

While I am talking, I hear him grab his keys.

"Hold on Bells…"

I hear him start talking to his wife, Rosalie.

"Rosie, Bells is on her way home, but she needs me to go to Uncle Charlie's house and check on him. I will call you once I know what is going on and fill you in. Call me if you need me to come back home."

It is late enough that their daughters, Emmalie and Haley, are asleep. If they were awake, they all would go over there. Fortunately, they just live down the street from Dad. So, the trip there won't take long.

"Ok, Em. Tell Charlie and Bells I said 'Hi'. And invite them both over for lunch on Sunday. The girls love it every time they come over here."

"Ok, Rosie; I'll let him know." His voice gets louder as he puts his phone back up to his ear and starts talking to me again. "Bells, I'm on my way out the door. Are you gonna be ok? Do you wanna tell me what happened?"

I hear Emmett lock his door behind him and start up his Harley. Rose doesn't let him ride the motorcycle when she or either one of the girls are with him. But, with Charlie living at the other end of the street, getting his Jeep out would be a little extravagant.

"Em, just call me back after you get to his place. And whatever you do, don't let him leave. Tell him I will be home in about two and a half hours."

"Sure thing Belly Bean. Be careful. I'll see you when you get home."

"Thank you so much, Em. I'll see you in a little while."

I hang up with Emmett and think about calling Rose. She is the only other person back home that even really knows me. But, I know that Em will be calling me back soon. So, I just turn the radio on and drive.

Emmett calls me back about 30 minutes later. He tells me that he got Dad calmed down, but he is still going to stay there with him until I get home.

Dad gets on the phone and makes me assure him that I am OK and that Edward did not lay a hand on me.

By the time I get off of the phone with the two of them, I am 30 minutes away from home.

I turn the radio up and speed through the home stretch.

A sense of relief washes over me as I pull onto my childhood street. Charlie and Em must be able to hear my truck coming from down the block. When I pull into the driveway, they are waiting on the porch for me.

I turn the truck off and grab Pup. I barely have time to get the dog out of his carrier before Emmett has me wrapped in a bone-crushing bear hug.

"It's good to see you too, Em. How are Rose and the girls?"

Emmett met Rosalie Hale when she moved to Arkansas to go to college. She was 18 and a freshman. Emmett was a sophomore and 19 years old. He'll still tell you that he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life with her the first moment he laid eyes on her. She was in a long distance relationship with her high school sweet heart, so Em had to settle for "friend" for the first few months. But, once she found out that Royce had been cheating on her since before she moved away, she ended the relationship and turned to Emmett for comfort. Em reassured her every day that Royce was, and probably still is, an idiot. They never officially dated, but they have been inseparable ever since then.

They got married when they were 24 and 23 and immediately started trying to have a baby. It took them three years before they found out that they were pregnant with Emmalie. She completed their family in every way possible. She is the spitting image of Rose. The beautiful little girl has long, straight blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes. However, she does have Em's creamy skin tone. She is her momma in almost every way physically possible. But, her personality is all Emmett. She is goofy and outgoing. I don't think she has ever met a stranger. And she can make you smile even on the worse day ever.

They had actually stopped trying to have children after Emmalie was born. They felt that their family was complete. But, two years later, Rose had been sick and when she went to the doctor, they found out she was pregnant. Haley is, once again, the perfect combination of her parents. She is the exact opposite of her big sister. She has thick brown hair and these big brown eyes that just make you melt. She looks so much like her daddy. But, she tans and acts just like Rose. She has this way of rolling her eyes at you and making you feel like you just said the stupidest thing ever. She is one of those kids who will always let you know how she feels. Emmalie is nice to everyone, Haley is only nice to the people she likes. Fortunately for Charlie and me, Haley really likes us both.

"They are pretty good. Emmy and Hales are asleep already, so Rose couldn't come with me. But, she wants you two to join us for lunch on Sunday."

"Thanks Em. That sounds great. I could really use some cuddles with your girls."

I look up on the porch and see Charlie standing at the top of the stairs. He has never been one for physical affection. So, it is no surprise to me that he did not meet me at the truck.

Emmett starts grabbing my bags from the bed of the truck as Pup and I head in to the house.

I stop at the top of the steps.

"Hey, Dad. Thanks for letting me come home. I don't know where I would have gone if I couldn't come here."

He rolls his eyes at me and ushers me into the house.

"Seriously, Bells? Do you honestly think that I would not have let you come home? I'm just glad you called. I can't believe you didn't call or come home sooner."

"I know, Dad. I just thought he would change. I thought he wanted to change. But, I was wrong. So, I came home."

Charlie walks over to me and gives me a short hug before he walks out to the truck to help Em get my stuff in.

After all of the bags are in the house, I sit down at the table with Emmett and Charlie to answer all of their questions. On a typical day, Charlie would have to get up soon to go to work, but since he is already up, he is starting on his morning coffee. Emmett and I opt for some hot tea.

By the time they are done with their questions, I have basically told them everything that has happened the whole time I was with Edward.

When we were done talking, it was time for Charlie to get ready for work. I walked Emmett out to his bike and talked without Charlie for a few minutes.

"Bells, be honest with me. Did Edward hurt you? Did he get rough you?"

"No, Em. He didn't touch me. He threw things around me and yelled at me and called me names. But, he never made a mark on me."

"OK. I just worry about you. You're like a little sister. Now that I have Emmalie and Haley, if someone ever hurt them, I would go ballistic. Uncle Charlie is handling this remarkably well. But, I guess it wouldn't look good if the police chief was put in jail for murdering his daughter's husband."

The idea of Charlie behind bars is enough to make us both lose it in fits of laughter. We laugh uncontrollably for close to five minutes. When we finally get ourselves under control we both have tears streaming down our faces. It takes even longer for me to get my breathing back to normal.

"Em, I know you worry. But, I'm OK. I'm just really glad to be home and away from Edward."

Emmett opens his mouth to say something but he stops when he sees me yawning like I have not slept in years. I guess the adrenaline of leaving Edward has worn off. I am having a hard time keeping my eyes open at this point.

"Hey, Belly, I'm gonna head back to the house. Why don't you go inside and try to get some sleep? If you wanna get out of the house later, give us a call and you can come hang out at our place. I know the girls would love to see you. And I'm sure Rosie wants to talk to you. Ya know, she's been there."

"Thanks Em. I'll call you later. And tell Rose that I will tell her all about it when I come over. Thanks for coming over and stopping Charlie from doing anything stupid. Go get some sleep too."

I give Emmett a big hug and head up to the porch to watch him ride down the street. As he pulls out of the driveway and on to the street, I am aware of how late it actually is because of the purples and pinks painting the dark sky. The sun is just starting to show itself over the house across the street when I turn to head inside.

I'm thankful for the fact that I grew up in this house and Charlie has never rearranged furniture. I know that is something strange to be thankful for, but that allows me to shut my eyes as I walk to my room.

What I don't expect, is walking right in to Charlie. The impact causes me to stumble back and fall to the ground.

"Jesus, Bells! Are you ok?"

I look up at him and can't help the guffaw that escapes my lips. I would be embarrassed, but this kind of thing used to happen to me all the time.

"Sorry, Dad. I guess I should open my eyes when I'm walking."

He helps me up as we both laugh at my usual clumsiness.

"Yeah, Bells, with your track record, walking with your eyes closed is not the best idea. Ok, Kiddo, I'm headed in to work. Go get some sleep. I'll see you when I get home this evening."

"OK, Dad. Be careful out there. I'll see you for dinner. I'll cook if you want me to."

I walk him to the front door as we talk.

"That sounds great, Bells."

Charlie hugs me tightly before he steps outside and heads to his cruiser. Once he gets it started, he rolls down the window and calls out to me to get my attention.

"Bells! I um… I'm really glad you're home."

"Thanks, Dad. Me too."

I watch him pull out of the drive and head back into the house. I grab the dog, who has been following my every step, and take him out back to go to the bathroom before we go to sleep for a while.

When I wake up around noon, I make sure the back yard gates are shut and I put Pup out there with some water and food. I am so glad that Charlie has a fenced in yard, because now he has some place to play and run around.

I stay outside with Pup for a few minutes to help him get used to being in that yard. Then, I call Rose and head over to their place.

When I get there, she greets me at the door with Emmalie and Haley. She, in her very best "mommy" voice, reminds them of what they are supposed to be doing.

"Emmy, Hales, I told you to finish your lunch. Auntie Bells and Mommy will sit with you but if you can't mind me, we won't."

Even though I am not their aunt, it is easier to explain than second cousin or first cousin once removed or whatever I actually am to them.

"Sorry Mommy." They both say in unison with the most adorable pouts on their faces.

After they turn away and start to walk back to their picnic in the living room, Rose pulls me into the house and gives me a huge hug. It is almost as if she is trying to hug away all of the pain that came with my whole relationship with Edward.

When she releases me, we go sit on the couch and watch the girls finish their lunch. She turns to me and opens her mouth to say something, but then closes it.

"What is it, Rose?"

"Well, I just wanted you to know that if you wanted to talk about it, I am here for you. And, if you don't want to talk about it, I'm here to distract you."

"Thank you, Rose. I would like to talk about it, but not in front of the girls."

Once Emmalie and Haley are finished, we follow them into Rose and Em's room and put on a movie for them. They crawl into the king size sleigh bed and snuggle up together to watch and most likely, take a nap.

Rose and I go back to the couch and I tell her everything. I tell her things that I had never told anyone. Things that I had yet to even admit to myself.

By the time the day is over and I am back at my place fixing Charlie and myself some dinner, I have the names of a friend who is a divorce lawyer and several people in town who are looking for some summer help, thanks to Rose.

Charlie and I sit down and have a nice dinner, just the two of us. I am amazed at how great it feels to cook for someone who goes on and on about how good my cooking is instead of someone who complains about every little thing that was totally out of my control.

After checking on the dog and getting him fresh water, I head up stairs to get ready for bed. Sheer exhaustion overtakes me and I fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.

I wake up the next morning feeling refreshed and very well rested. It is a good thing, because Charlie and I have a lunch date with Rose, Em, and the girls. After doing my normal morning routine, I head down to the kitchen and make breakfast.

Once we have cleared the breakfast dishes and cleaned off the table, I start on my homemade banana pudding. I know that Rose told me not to bring anything, but I feel bad showing up empty handed when someone has offered their house and food to me.

We are greeted at the front door by Emmett and I have to fight him off to be able to make it to the fridge with the pudding. The girls are almost as excited about it as he is.

Rose is starting to put the food on the table in their back yard. I head out to the back to see if there is anything that I can do to help. She and I get everything set up and we all sit down for a fabulous meal.

Rose has outdone herself with some of my favorites. Our lunch plates are filled with BLT sandwiches, potato salad, macaroni salad, and watermelon. The adults all opt for the traditional southern summertime drink, ice-cold sweet tea. The girls stick with lemonade. I eat so much that I _almost_ don't have room for pudding.

Throughout lunch, the conversation and company are even better than the meal. It just feels so good to be able to have a meal with my family without having to worry about the horrible mood of the person sitting next to me. Before, I was always so worried about someone saying something that would set Edward off or serving something that he would not want to eat. Not to mention the fact that being around my family meant that he could not be high on whatever drug he wanted to be doing instead of hanging out with us.

It amazes me how at ease we all are with each other. The conversation is just so natural with us. We cover every topic from my old beat up truck to what Emmett and Rose are doing for work these days.

I know that Emmett just started working at the high school that we both went to last year, but that is about all I know about his job. In fact, I don't even know what Rose does at all anymore.

"Hey, Em, tell me about this new job of yours. I heard that you were teaching at the high school."

Emmett lights up when he talks about his job and the kids.

"I love it. I am the Phys Ed and Health teacher and I coach the football, wrestling, girls' volleyball teams. I know it sounds like a lot, but none of them over lap during their competition seasons. And I think we all know how much I love a good competition."

We all laugh at that, because it is so true. Everything is a competition with Emmett. He is a great sport when he loses, but he somehow manages to turn even the simplest tasks into games. That is just one of the many reasons why he is great with kids.

Charlie hears him talking about sports and he is all perked up, like a kid hearing the ice cream truck.

"You coach all of those by yourself?"

"Well, I did have an assistant coach last year, but his wife was transferred out of state, so he will not be returning in the fall. The principal said that he is trying to fill the position before school starts. But, that leaves me doing the off-season without an assistant. Some of the seniors from last year have come to help out and work out with us before they start school, and that has helped."

We talk for a few more minutes before the conversation turns to Rose.

"Rose, I feel really bad, but I don't even know what you do."

"Don't feel bad Bells. I work down at the dealership. You just happen to be looking at the top sales rep in the state."

I can't help the grin that overtakes my face.

"Wow, Rose! That is fantastic! I guess you cringe every time you look at my truck, don't you?"

"It does leave a lot to be desired."

Charlie and Emmett jump in and start going back and forth, debating the difference in new safety features compared to the sturdiness of the older materials.

They are so engrossed in their debate that they don't even notice when Emmalie sneaks up behind Emmett with a full water balloon in her hands. In fact, Emmett doesn't notice until she lifts the balloon all the way up, as high as her arms will go, and she drops it right on Em's head. Rose and I double over in laughter while Charlie just gets up and moves his chair closer to the house. It is like he knows what is coming next. I look over at him and he is chuckling and shaking his head.

Being around Emmett and Emmalie again is so much fun. They have us all laughing the entire time that we are over there.

The water balloon is a turning point in the visit. Soon, the two of them start throwing ice at each other. Before we know it, Emmett is chasing Rose, Emmalie, and I around the back yard with the water hose. Haley picks the safe route and stays in Charlie's lap, knowing that Emmett will not dare spray my dad. By the time Haley says that she wants pudding, she and Dad are the only ones who are not soaked to the bones. Needless to say, Charlie goes inside to get the pudding and leaves us dripping in the yard.

We all stay outside getting caught up the rest of the afternoon. When Haley starts yawning we realize how late it has become. Charlie and I say our goodbyes and head home. We both crash almost as soon as we walk in the door.

Monday morning comes much sooner than I really want it to. The first thing I do is make some phone calls. Rose had given me the number for Esme, a lawyer friend of hers. She is really helpful. She tells me that most divorce cases require that the couple live apart for 30 days before filing. However, with the abuse in my case, I can file immediately. With no children involved and me not wanting the house or any part of it, it should be a very quick process.

I set up an appointment with her for later in the week to start the paperwork.  
>Next, I start on the list of job openings that Rose gave me.<p>

Unfortunately, none of those jobs are going to work out. It seems that I am overqualified for most of them, and the others, well… they just aren't a good fit.  
>I am just pulling the phone away and hanging up when it starts ringing in my hand. I look down and see that Emmett is calling.<p>

"Hey, Em, what's up?"

"Well, I'm up here at the high school doing some off season training with the football team and I just got done talking with the principal."

I wait for him to continue, but realize he is waiting for some sort of acknowledgement.

"Ok, I'll bite. That's great. What does that mean for me?"

"Well, Belly Bean, it seems that he was unable to fill the assistant coach position for the fall."

I wait again. He really wants me to drag this out of him, but I have no idea what any of this is supposed to mean to me.

"Geez, Emmett! Just tell me what that has to do with me already."

"Chill out, Bells. My assistant was also the Yearbook and Journalism teacher. I told our principal about you and he said that he wants to meet with you about filling the position. Well, the teaching position. We will find someone else to help coach."

I am shocked. I haven't even met this person, but they want to give me a job. The great thing about this job, if I actually get it, is that I will be using my degrees and not changing diapers for a living.

"Emmett, ask him if he is available now. I can get in the truck and be there in ten minutes."

I hear their muffled voices, but can't really make out what they are saying.

"Alright Bells. You have ten minutes. He said that you could just meet him out here on the field. He will be the guy you are not related to who is not in high school."

Emmett actually laughs at himself. He is a funny guy, but the person he cracks up the most is himself.

"Funny, Em. See you in a few"

I hang up with him and look at myself in the mirror. I know I need to change out of my sleep clothes, but into what? It is a job interview, so I need to look professional. But, we are meeting on the football field, so will business casual be accepted?

I finally settle on a pair of thin black slacks and a white form-fitting button down. I toss on my heels and I am out the door. I realize that I will be on the field and heels are not good for that, but all of my other shoes that are not flip-flops are still at Edwards.

That reminds me that I need to find a way to get the rest of my stuff from him, hopefully before the divorce is finalized.

I leave the house and make it to the school field with three minutes to spare. I am just walking past the stands when the principal and Emmett turn around to greet me. The sun is behind them so I cannot quite make out who it is that I am meeting. And that is when I hear it. That velvety voice is the one that I hear in my dreams every night.

"Why, Hello Ma'am. You must be Mrs. Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you."

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**First off, I want to thank Korry for helping me through the creative process and encouraging me to write. And Lindsey for being my beta and my very first friend (since preschool). Second, I want everyone to welcome Emily to my team as a prereader, and Beckie as a second beta. They are what make stories like mine possible. However, any mistakes are mine and mine alone. Thank you ladies! I Flove you!**

**Now, I want to send some Rec love out into the Fandom world. These are just a few of the authors I cannot live without. Look them up, read their stuff, send them review love!**

**Author: Krazyk85**

**Fics: Chocolate Brown and Leather Whips**

** The Ultimate Test**

** Ethics Be Damned**

** Warm Son**

**Author: Bornonhalloween**

**Fics: The Cliffs**

** Comp Sem 101**

** Once Upon a Desire**

** The Mental Meanderings of a Black Leather Coat**

** The Bingo Conversation, a OUAD outtake**

**Author: SexiLexiCullen**

**Fics: Outside the Box**

** Quiet Storm**

** The Eye of the Storm**

** The Story of Us**

** Instructions Not Included**

** On the Side**

**Finally, I just want to tell you that I love you all and I love it when you review. So, this is what i want… I want you to tell me what the meanest trick was that was ever played on you or you played on someone else. What Emmett did to Bella at Gran's was actually pulled on me by my two older girl cousins. I never got revenge though. **

**Ok, enough talking… REVIEW. **

**~SGR **

**Twitter (Shattered1025)**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: **

**First off: I don't own them, just what I do to them. And oh the things I do to them. ;)**

**Second: I want to thank my team for making this chapter happen. Korry, Beckie, Lindsey, and Emily I Flove you something hardcore. Thank you for putting up with my crap!**

**Third: Thank you to my readers! Without you, I would just be talking to myself. **

**More AN at the bottom, but I will let you get to it.**

**Happy Reading!**

**xoxo**

**~SGR**

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><p><em>Last time on Ancient History:<em>

_I leave the house and make it to the school field with three minutes to spare. I am just walking past the stands when the principal and Emmett turn around to greet me. The sun is behind them so I cannot quite make out who it is that I am meeting. And that is when I hear it. That velvety voice is the one that I hear in my dreams every night._

_"Why, Hello Ma'am. You must be Mrs. Cullen. It's a pleasure to meet you."  
><em>

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><p>I stop in my tracks and my jaw almost hits the ground. I can't see his face, but I would know that voice anywhere. I try to form words to respond, but all I can do at the moment is marvel at the irony of this situation.<p>

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I can hear Emmett talking to me, but the shock of the situation keeps me from focusing on his words.

My feet finally find the will to move, propelling me forward. Before I know it, I am standing face to face with the most beautiful man alive. It is clear to me that the past nine years have been very good to him. The only visible difference is his once blonde hair is now brown.

I know that I have to talk, especially if I am trying to get this teaching job, but for some reason, I am like a toddler, unable to utter even a simple word. Instead of speaking, I reach my hand out to grasp his in a handshake.

As my hand meets his, I hear that beautiful southern drawl again.

"Ms. Cullen, I'm so glad that you could make it on such short notice. Would you care to join me on the bleachers to discuss this opportunity?"

I know that I have to pull myself together and talk to him, but it would seem that my mouth has just completely quit working.

I nod and mumble something along the lines of, "Iwouldjoinyouanywhere." Fortunately, he does not catch it, or at least if he does, he doesn't show it. He turns towards the bleachers with me following behind.

Walking up the steps to where he wants to sit is no easy task in these heels. I am about to take the last step and I feel my heel catch on the edge of the stair. I start to lose my balance, and I know that I am about to go plummeting down the small flight we just took. Even though I know it is only about ten steps, it still scares the crap out of me.

Just as I am beginning the descent I see him reach out for me. He grabs my waist and pulls me out of my tumble. But in his effort to save me from my clumsiness he throws me against his chest, assaulting my senses with a heavenly scent that is all man, sunshine, and leather.

I look up into his eyes and all sense of reality leaves me. I cannot believe that I am in Mr. Whitlock's arms. If forming words was difficult before, it is impossible now.

I am vaguely aware of Emmett's laughter in the background.

As I feel the arms of my rescuer slacken around me, the embarrassment of the situation hits me with full force. I try to speak, but that task again seems to leave me.  
>I end up just staring at him for what feels like hours. After what I am sure is only minutes, he breaks the ice for us.<p>

"Ms. Cullen, let's just have a seat and talk about the job."

It registers for the first time that he is calling me by Cullen and not by Swan. I want to correct him, but that involves talking to this god in front of me.

As I sit down next to him, Emmett's voice finally breaks through my subconscious.

"Bells, are you alright up there? I don't think Charlie would like it if you came home with a concussion, especially not after just getting home from that asshole you married."

Cue blush.

Somehow, I am able to find my words for Emmett.

"Shut up, ya big oaf! Don't you have some kids to take care of? I'm sure Mr. Whitlock does not pay you to just stand around and pick on your cousin."

He actually has the decency to look somewhat apologetic.

"She speaks."

I look in the direction of the voice and I see Mr. Whitlock chuckling at me. I am sure that my face is as red as the Razorback shirt he is wearing.

"Sorry, I get kind of flustered sometimes. It hasn't happened in years…well, nine years to be exact."

"So, Ms. Cullen, tell me, what changed?"

I don't want to tell him that not being around him day in and day out is the difference. And I really don't want to tell him about the string of horrible relationships that I have had that has forced me to find my voice or be demolished. But I know that for him to trust me with his students, he has to be able to trust me in general. So, I give him the cliff notes version.

"Let's see, Mr. Whitlock."

I am about to go on when he stops me.

"Please, call me Jasper. Mr. Whitlock is what the students call me."

I am a little shocked that he has given me permission to refer to him in such a familiar way, but to me he is still the teacher and I am still the student.

"I remember what we called you."

He looks totally confused, so I decide to go on.

"I was a student here. You were actually my history teacher your first year teaching. I had you for History of America in War. It was my favorite class."

"I don't remember having a Cullen in my class. And I am pretty sure I would remember if you were in it."

Again, he leaves me blushing.

"I was Swan back then. I went by Isabella Swan, or Bella Swan. I got married a while back and became Cullen."

"I remember a Swan. Chief's daughter, right? Quiet, great student, always asked the best questions and gave the right answers. You can't be her. I mean…, wait, that didn't come out the way I meant it. What I mean is Emmett said that you are great in front of a crowd and would have no problem with the kids. She was so reserved, shy almost."

"Right. Well, that's me. Or, at least, that used to be me. The past nine years pulled me out of my shell. I don't even recognize that girl anymore."

I don't want to get into any more detail than that, and I am really glad when he doesn't push the issue. Thankfully, he just goes on with questions more impertinent to the interview.

"So you went to the university and got a double major? Tell me about that."

I proceed to tell him about college and my classes. I tell him about my degree and how much I would love to be able to use it. We talk about the kids at the school and what he would expect of me. By the end of the interview, I feel relatively confident that I might get the job. I go back home with a smile on my face and a glimmer of hope for my future for the first time in years.

That night, I go to bed and dream the same dream of dimly lit hallways, desks, chalkboards, and a mousy high school girl catching the eye of her history teacher.

When I wake up the next morning, I begin doubting how well the interview went. But it is too late to do anything about it now, so I just wait for the call.

I have my meeting with Esme today. I am supposed to meet her at the diner around 10:00. She said that would be a good time. We could talk while it was empty and then enjoy lunch together.

I got to the diner about 15 minutes early and picked out a booth in the back. About five minutes later, I see the door open. I can only assume that the woman who walks in is Esme. She looks as warm as her voice sounded over the phone. Her brown hair is loosely secured behind her head, allowing some hair to fall around her face. She is casually dressed in a lavender cashmere sweater and a nice pair of denim slacks. As I make eye contact with her, the smile that graces her face is contagious, causing mine to mirror hers. I stand to greet her as she makes her way to our table.

"Bella, it's so nice to actually meet you in person. Rose has told me so much about you. And from our phone conversation the other day, I can already tell I'm going to like working for you."

She seems really nice. Her eyes hold a kindness that I have not seen in anyone outside of my family. And the smile on her face makes me want to smile, too.

"Thanks, Esme. I think I'm going to enjoy working with you too. I wish it were under different circumstances, but it will be nice regardless."

As we are sitting down, the waitress comes to get our drink orders. Esme then pulls out a file folder with an inch thick stack of paperwork. The waitress sets the drinks down in front of us, and Esme gets down to business.

"Okay Bella, as we discussed, I can get this to happen pretty quickly. The total time from you signing these and you having your maiden name back will be about a month. I have all of the proper documents here to make sure of that, including the form for the Social Security office to that name change happen. It should be pretty straight forward and easy unless he fights it."

"He won't fight it. He doesn't want me anymore. Once someone abandons him, he writes them off all together."

"Well, I know that you told me the basics, but why don't you tell me exactly what happened again? Try to give me specific examples. It will make it a faster process in the long run, if we can cite examples for the judge."

Over the next hour, I tell her everything. I tell her about every time he threw something at me, cussed at me, called me names, screamed and yelled at me because of something that someone else did, and just ignored me because he couldn't stand to look at me. Occasionally, she shakes her head and apologizes for his behavior. At one point, I feel the bench shift as she moves to sit next to me and put her arm around me. It isn't until I hear her telling me that it is okay to cry that I realize that I am.

If my mother was still around, I imagine that this is what her comforting me would feel like.

Esme is so nice. I know that she is just doing her job, but it feels like so much more than that. It feels like I had made a friend, a real friend who wants to be there for me instead of just using me to get to my drug-dealing husband.

I keep telling her my sob story until we see other patrons start to file in for the lunch rush. When I am done, I go to the bathroom and splash some cold water on my face to take away the evidence of my overworked emotions.

As I walk back to the table, I see that someone else has joined us.

"Hey, Rose! I didn't know you were coming."

"I wasn't. I was just gonna grab lunch and take it back to work, but I saw Es and she said that the professional stuff was done. So, here I am. I hope you don't mind."

She has a smile on her face, but I can tell that if I say that I mind, she will leave.

"Rosie, be serious. I always want you around. You are the best friend I have, and you are my family. It doesn't get much better than that."

The three of us sit there enjoying our lunch and the company for over an hour. I realize that what I have missed the most over the past few years was laughter and love from girlfriends.

Once Rose leaves to go back to work, Esme and I sit there for another two hours just signing papers and talking about anything and everything: jobs, music, books, friends, and hobbies. She even tells me that she writes. I immediately perk up at that information, as reading and writing are my favorite hobbies. She says that it is nothing published, but she writes stories about the characters from her favorite book series.

"Here, this is the website. That is my pen name and those are my stories. Look it up when you have a chance. You may not like them, but it may be something you are interested in."

I stick the paper with all the information in my pocket.

"Thanks, Esme. I will check it out when I get home. Can just anyone add submissions to the site?"

"Yes, just read the rules tonight and maybe check out some stories. If you are interested in it, you can go from there."

I thank her as we walk to the counter to pay our bills. Once we are outside I head to the truck, but not before turning around to thank her again.

"Esme, it really was nice meeting you. And thank you for all of your help with this. It feels really good having you in my corner."

"It is my pleasure, Bella. I'll call you once we get the papers back from him signed. Actually, I will probably call you before then, most likely not regarding your divorce. I had a great time, and hope we can do this again."

"That would be great, Esme. I hope we can get together again soon. Maybe next time will be under better circumstances."

As I am getting in my truck, I wave and watch her drive out of the parking lot.

I decide that my next stop for the day is going to be the phone store. Charlie is in desperate need of some new technology.

While I am at the wireless store, I upgrade my phone, buy Charlie a new one, and add him to my plan. I know he will think it is too expensive, but he really can't argue with $10 a month.

I get home and call Rose to invite them over for dinner tonight. When I get off the phone, I start cooking my homemade spaghetti sauce. Pasta has always been one of my favorite things to cook. It is as easy to make for one as it is for ten.

Just as I am putting the water on to boil, I hear the cruiser pull in to the driveway. Before Charlie even has a chance to get inside, Emmett's Jeep pulls in behind him.

The night passes in a blur of good food and great conversation. Emmett proceeds to tell everyone about my moments of glory with Mr. Whit, wait, Jasper, with Jasper. It will take me some time getting used to that one. Either way, everyone shares a laugh at my expense and I really can't blame them. It was pretty funny.

After all of the dishes are cleaned and the sleeping girls are buckled in the back of the Jeep, Dad and I say goodbye to Em and Rose and watch them get in the Jeep and head back home.

Charlie and I both go to bed as soon as we walk back inside.

That night, I dream of spaghetti sauce, cowboy boots, and a cute little girl.

I wake up the next morning sure of three things. First, I am still head over heels in love with Jasper Whitlock. Second, I have made a wonderful new friend in Esme. And third, I have no idea who that little girl in my dream was.

Before I can put too much thought into it, I feel a wave of nausea come over me. I run to the bathroom and expel any lingering remainder of last night's spaghetti. I start shivering, but I don't even have the energy to grab a towel to cover myself. Instead, I just curl up on the rug next to the toilet, and fall back asleep.

I wake up seven hours later, and I feel like I have been run over by a freight train. It takes me about 15 minutes to uncurl myself and get up off of the floor. I finally manage to get back in my room and I notice that my phone is beeping at me. When I look at it, I see that I have ten missed calls. One from Charlie, one from Esme, one from Emmett, one from Rose, one from a number I don't recognize, and five from Edward.

I guess he was served with the papers this morning.

I crawl back into bed and check my messages.

"_You have ten new messages... To listen to your messages, press #1..."_

I hear the beep as I dial #1.

"_Message one: 'Hey Bells, it's Dad. I just wanted to let you know that I went into work early today. You were still asleep when I left. And I figured I would use this handy-dandy new phone that my favorite daughter got me. I'll be home this evening. See you then.'_

_To save your message, press #1. To delete, press #7. To listen again, press #4."_

I chuckle at Charlie as I hit seven to delete his message.

"Message two: 'Hey, Bella. It's Esme. I just wanted to give you a heads up that Edward will be served his papers today. You will probably hear from him. My advice, as your lawyer, is DO NOT answer. Let it go to voice mail. You can listen to them if you want. But whatever you do, make sure to save the messages. They could be useful in court. Okay, well, I guess I will talk to you later. Call me if he tries to contact you.'"

I delete the message before it prompts me to.

"Message three: 'Belly Bean! I talked to Jasper this morning. He said that you were actually one of his students. Is he the teacher you had a crush on your senior year? That's pretty funny. Silly Belly. Okay, well, just call me back whenever. TTFN.'"

I delete that message while laughing at Em. I cannot believe that he still says, "TTFN". And he thinks I am the silly one.

"Message four: 'Hey Honey. It's Rosie. I just wanted to call and check on you. I got pretty sick in the night. No one else in the house is sick, so I know it wasn't dinner. If you were sick too, I thought it might be something we ate at the diner, since we ordered the same thing. Well, just call me later or whenever. Love ya Girlie.'"

At least I know it isn't my cooking that did this. As I delete her message, I think about what we ate. The only thing I can think of is that they got a bad batch of dressing from their supplier. All three of us had different salads, but Rosie and I both had Thousand Island on ours.

The next message starts to play and my breath catches.

"Message five: 'Um, Bella? I hope that is okay that I call you that. Emmett said it is what you prefer. Well, actually he told me to call you Bellanator. But, I won't get into that now. This is Jasper, and I just wanted to let you know that I would love it if you would come to work for me. Faculty orientation is next month. I will get with you and give you more details before then. If you have caller ID, you have my cell number. If not, Emmett can give it to you. Just give me a call if you have any questions. Thank you and I look forward to working with you.'"

That message, I replayed several times. His voice is just so smooth and wonderful. I know it is stupid to do it, but I save the message too.

I take a deep breath and brace myself for what is next. I know that whatever messages are left are all from Edward.

Right before I hear the voicemail lady again, I hang up. I know that it is going to be bad and I am not ready for that yet. Instead, I call Rose back and tell her that I too was sick and I still feel like crap. I hang up with her and fall back asleep.

I wake up only 20 minutes later and I know that I have to get it over with. I pick up my phone and dial in to my voicemails.

"You have five skipped messages and one saved message."

The first four are just the sound of someone hanging up. I know that the last one is going to be an explosion.

"Fifth skipped message: 'Bella! Answer your fucking phone! I know that you are there. I have called four times already and you won't answer. What the fuck is this shit I got this morning? You haven't been gone a week and you already have divorce papers? Did you have this planned? You are such a bitch! I can't believe you. You probably have somebody there waiting for you. Were you fucking someone else? Huh? I swear if I find out you were cheating on me, I will beat your fucking ass! I don't give a damn who your daddy is. He is just a fucking pussy anyways. Hiding behind his fucking badge. He wouldn't know how to fight a real man if one hit him in the fucking face…'"

I can't listen to this anymore. I am so mad that I have tears of anger streaming down my face. As I hit the one button, another wave of nausea overtakes me and I am forced back into the bathroom. This time, I have my phone in hand.

After I dry heave over the toilet for ten minutes, I manage to get up and get back in my bed.

Just as I begin to fall asleep, my phone rings the Arkansas fight song.

"_Hit that line! Hit that line!__Keep on going! Take that ball right__down the field! Give a cheer. Rah! Rah! Never fear. Rah! Rah! Arkansas will never yield! On your toes, Razorbacks,__to the finish, carry on with all your might! For it's A-R-K-A-N-S-A-S for Arkansas! Fight! Fight! Fiiiight!"_

I let it ring all the way through, hoping the caller will leave a message or just hang up. I get my wish. They hang up, only to call right back. It gets to the first "Rah! Rah!" before I pick it up and answer without looking at the caller id.

"Hello."

I know I have to sound awful. I feel awful.

"Bella! Finally decide to answer your phone, did'ja?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>

**Thank you so much for reading and hopefully reviewing. **

**Ok, here are my rec's for the chapter:**

**As always check out Krazyk85. She is the owner of SubWard and my heart. She is the tits! If you aren't reading her, you are sorely missing out.**

**Go look up Lulabelle98. She is a dear friend and a fabu writer. She owns WWIward. If you have a chance to find her on Twitter, please do. She is the sweetest person you will ever have the joy of conversing with.**

**And now for my Non-Canon, search for BriL740. She is a lover of Emmett just like I am. She owns the vamp who holds my heart in his big, yummy, sexy hands. **

**Yes, Korry owns my heart, but Emmett and Jasper play hot potato with it. They only stop with Carlisle and Edward come in and steal it from them. And I will admit, that does happen on a semi regular basis. **

**If you have a chance, hop over to my blog. I have a long list of Writers and Resources that are worth looking at. **

**Substitute the (Dot)'s with . and you will be there.**

**shattered1025(dot)blogspot(dot)com **

**Again, I Flove you and look forward to reading your thoughts on this chapter.**

**Til next time.**

**xoxo**

**~SGR**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:**

**First off: I do not own these characters. Oh the things I would do to them if I did. Sadly, S. Meyer owns them. I only own the plot**

**Second: I must apologize for how long this took to get out. My family is in the process of moving and packing up the house has taken priority. **

**Third: We move officially on Monday 8/29/2011 and once we do, I will not have Internet again until at least 9/13/2011. So, the next update will be after then. I am hoping to have the next chapter(s) written by then so that they can post as soon as possible. Please forgive me for the wait. **

**I want to thank my team. Korry, Lindsey, Beckie, and Emily make AH possible. Without them, it would be a bumbling mess. This chapter, however, is unbeta'd. Please forgive any mistakes as they are mine and mine alone. **

**I also want to thank all of my WC ladies for helping me to get this written. There have been so many of them, but they all know who they are. **

**I want to thank my TwiTwitterFam for putting up with me. Krazyk85_, ANHanninen, i2want2knowu, TwiLife2011, TwiNerdForLife, Melissammo, BloodOfYourLips, AnIllicitWriter, Lulabelle98, ToTheDreaming, DoobaWrites, LadyTazz7, Pixiebella88, Jaspers_Woman, and Nutellaval keep me sane. It is a huge task and it takes all of them. If you are on Twitter, look them up. They are a great group of ladies. I couldn't do this without them. **

**OK… We learn a little more of her relationship with Doucheward. Possible tissue warning. You might want to get one just in case. **

**Happy reading!**

* * *

><p>Last time on Ancient History:<p>

_I let it ring all the way through, hoping the caller will leave a message or just hang up. I get my wish. They hang up, only to call right back. It gets to the first "Rah! Rah!" before I pick it up and answer without looking at the caller id._

"_Hello."_

_I know I have to sound awful. I feel awful. _

"_Bella! Finally decide to answer your phone, did'ja?"_

* * *

><p>~AH~<p>

My breath catches in my throat. I can't believe that I didn't look at the caller ID before I answered the phone. The voice on the other end is the last person I want to deal with while I am sick.

"Edward, what do you want? I really can't talk right now."

I feel another wave of nausea come over me, but I have to will it away.

"Bella, I don't care if you can talk. I'm really not interested is listening to much of what you have to say anyways."

His voice is eerily calm and I can tell that it will not stay that calm for the remainder of the conversation.

"What do you need, Edward? I have to go."

I am trying my hardest to calm my stomach, but talking to him is just making it worse.

"NO, DAMNIT! I have been trying to talk to you all day and you have been ignoring me. You are going to listen to what I have to say!"

I get up from my bed and go sit on the bathroom floor. I know that I will get sick again before it is all said and done with.

"What Edward, what do you have to tell me that is so important that you had to call me six times now?"

"I woke up this morning to someone knocking on my door. Guess who it was. No, never mind, you're too stupid to figure something like this out on your own."

"Edward, just tell me. I don't have time for games. Please."

"There was a bitch at my door bringing me your fucking divorce papers. You haven't even been gone a week and you have already filed? Did you file before you left me?"

"No, Edward I didn't. I filed"

I try to tell him that I filed yesterday, but he cuts me off before I can finish my sentence.

"You planned this whole thing, didn't ya? You've probably got someone there you're already fucking. You were probably cheating on me the whole time. Weren't you, ya little whore?"

I can't take it anymore. I let go of my grasp on my emotions and let him have it.

"No Edward! I was not cheating on you. I did not have this planned. I did not leave you because I had someone here waiting for me. I left you because I could not stand to be yelled at every day. I was tired of being told that I was fat all the time. I was so sick and tired of you taking your bad day out on me and making me feel like shit all the time. That is not a healthy marriage and I was not going to just sit around and let you treat me like that anymore! So, sign the papers and get them back to me and then this whole thing will be over and done with for good!"

I am so worked up that I can feel my stomach churning. I know that it is only a matter of time before I get sick again.

"That's bullshit, Bella! You are just so used to being a little fucking princess that you can't handle it when someone gets real with you. You are just af…"

I can't hold it off any longer. I hang up on him, mid sentence and throw myself over the toilet. I have been sick so much today that there is nothing left in me to come up. I dry heave for what feels like hours. When I finally stop, I don't have the energy to carry my body back to my bed. I lie down on the bathroom rug again and send a text to Emmett.

***keep getting sick. feel so weak. on bathroom floor. edward just called. we yelled I hung up on him**

I hit send and put my phone down. Just before my eyes close, I hear my phone chime to alert me of his response. I don't even have the energy to look at it. I fall asleep and dream of strong arms, concerned voices, and gentle touches.

~AH~

As I start to wake up, I am aware of a few things. First, I am tucked in my bed and not on the bathroom rug anymore. Second, I can hear Emmett yelling at someone in the distance. And third, I can hear another voice trying to calm him down.

I know that I must be dreaming, because the second voice that I hear sounds like Jasper. But, what would my new boss be doing in my house? And how the heck did I end up in bed? I am so confused.

I am brought out of the limbo between asleep and awake by a knock on my bedroom door.

"Hmmm?"

I am really too tired and weak to do much other than grunt.

Next thing I know, Emmett opens my door and sticks his head in.

"Hey, sleepy head. Can we come in?"

I nod as I try to sit up, but all I really manage to do is scoot about an inch higher on my pillow.

"Bells, you don't have to get up for us. We were at lunch when I got your text and when you didn't respond to mine, we wanted to come by and check on you."

While he walks to the end of my bed I realize that he keeps saying "we" and "us", so I just assume that Rosie is with him.

"Em, I thought Rose was sick too."

"She is, although, not as sick as you are. When we leave here, I am taking Jasper back to his car and heading home to check on her."

As I am trying to process what he just said, Jasper walks into view and leans against the door framing with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling? Do you need us to get you anything?"

I am a little taken aback by the fact that he is not only in my house, but also in my childhood room.

"Um, I'm ok, I guess. I just…"

As I am trying to answer him I make a visual sweep of the room to make sure that all of my unmentionables are put away.

"… I've never been this sick before. I don't know what to do."

Emmett moves to sit on the corner of my bed and Jasper takes his place standing by the footboard.

"Belly Bean, tell us what's going on and we might be able to help you out."

I really do not want to tell him all of my symptoms in front of Jasper, but I know that they just want to help. So, I tell them as frankly as possible.

"Well, I started getting sick almost as soon as I woke up this morning. The first time I got sick and then I slept for about seven hours. When I woke up, I checked all of my messages except the one from Edward and called Rose back before falling back asleep for another 20 minutes. I woke up and checked his messages and got sick again. I was just about to fall back asleep when I got a phone call that I should not have answered. Well, anyways… I had to hang up on him to make it back to the toilet to get sick again. After that, I sent you the text and fell back asleep. The rest is history."

I am winded just from talking that much. Both of the guys take notice and watch me with worried eyes as Emmett hands me a glass of water.

"Here, drink this. You look like a freshman after our first 'two-a-day' in the August heat."

I muster up all of the sarcasm that I can find in my frail state and respond to him.

"Great. Thanks Em. That's just fabulous."

I take the glass from him and drink what is probably the best water I have ever had. It is room temperature tap water, but I am so dehydrated that it tastes like it was poured straight from Heaven. Jasper still has a worried look on his face, while Emmett is grinning like the Cheshire Cat. It seems that even my discomfort does not stop him from loving being right.

As I had the glass back to Emmett I remember my confusion as I was waking.

"Em, how did I end up in bed? I fell asleep on the bathroom floor."

He stands up and fishes in his pocket for something. When he pulls out his key chain, he jingles it as he answers.

"Uncle Charlie gave me a key when you moved out to live with 'Doucheward'. When we got here we called, but you didn't answer. I let myself in and found you passed out shivering on the floor. I wasn't just going to let you stay there, so I scooped you up and put you in bed. Jas grabbed your phone 'cause it would not stop ringing. I hope you don't mind, but I answered it. He kept calling over and over and I figured it was the only way to get him to stop."

Well, that clears up my confusion. However, it seems that his "term of endearment" for Edward has added to Jasper's.

"Wait, if you don't mind me asking, who is 'Doucheward'?"

I'm mortified, but Jasper is one of Emmett's friends and I am sure he knows some of the story already. So, I guess I might as well tell him the rest.

Before I start, I reach for the glass of water from Em, but it is empty.

"Emmett, will you get me some more water and I will meet you both in the living room?"

"Sure thing, Bells."

As they leave I slip out of bed and shut the door. I trade my polka dotted shorts for gray lounge pants and toss on my Razorback hoodie.

When I get to the living room, the boys are sitting on opposite ends of the couch. I grab my quilt off the back of the couch and get comfortable in Charlie's recliner.

As soon as I sit down, Jasper looks at me with anticipation in his eyes. I take a deep breath and begin to tell him all about my soon to be ex-husband.

"Well, we were together for about three years, but only married for about six months. Um, I kinda saw this coming though. When we first got together Edward was great. He wanted to spend time together all the time. I was at his house with his friends constantly. There was this one Saturday morning he just woke up in a really bad mood. It was like someone had flipped a switch."

I take a drink of the ice water that Emmett got for me and look at the guys. The look on Jasper's face does not surprise me. He just looks like he is interested in knowing the rest of my story. I guess that makes sense. He is Em's good friend and my new boss. I can kinda understand him taking an interest in the situation.

Emmett, however, looks like he is in pain. I know he does not like Edward, so it is understandable for him to not like listening to my stories about my relationship.

I put the glass down and take a deep breath before continuing.

"He seemed to wake up on the wrong side of the bed. I don't know what triggered it, but he was just angry for no reason. At one point he was screaming at me to get out. So, I did what any logical person would do. I packed my bag and left. The only problem was, I didn't have my truck and I was about 30 minutes away from the house. I was going to walk anyways, because it had to be better than being there while he was so angry. Eventually he came chasing after me and took me home. While he was driving me back to my place, he explained that he is just so used to being alone all the time that he felt claustrophobic in his own house with me there. By the time we got back to my place, we had worked through it, but I still stayed home to give him some space. He called me at 4 the next morning and wanted me to come back. So, I did."

I stop to take another drink of water and gauge their reactions. Emmett looks pissed, but that is to be expected. I look at Japer, but I am having a hard time getting a reading on him. He seems to be more upset than he should be after practically just meeting me. Before I can put the glass back down and start back up again, he asks me a question.

"Bella, do you mind if I ask you something? If it is too personal, just tell me to back off and I will. Did he ever hurt you?"

I don't know how to answer that. Edward never laid a hand on me, but he hurt me in so many other ways. He yelled at me, called me names, threw things at me, belittled me, and made me feel like I was unworthy of being treated any better. Yes he hurt me. He did the worse kind of damage possible. He hurt my pride, my heart, and my self-image. Somehow, I doubt that is what Jasper means.

I am pulled out of my inner debate by what sounds like growling coming from Em. I look over at him and he looks like he is about to explode.

"I swear to God, Bells. If he laid a hand on you I will kill him for sure! Rosie will understand. She will bring the girls to see me in prison."

I have to stop him because he is only getting himself more and more riled up. I try to interrupt him, but end up having to yell at him myself.

"Em… Emmett… EMMETT MCCARTY! SHUT UP!"

Exerting that much energy was not an easy task. My head starts to spin with dizziness. I close my eyes to steady myself in the chair. I respond quietly and hope to convey my message clearly.

"He never physically hurt me. His father used to beat him, so he always said he would never hit me. He thought that by not physically hurting me, he was not doing any harm."

I open my eyes and see that Emmett is clenching his jaw and flaring his nostrils. I know he is livid with Edward. And in my opinion, he has every right to be.

I am tired and I want to go back to bed, but I don't want to be rude and kick them out. So I take another deep breath and continue with my stories of Edward.

"Things got better after that. He would still have small outbursts, but I was always able to talk him down and get to the bottom of them. I thought that by marrying him, he would see that someone loved him and wanted to be with him. I hoped that knowing that would make him happier and not so angry all the time. I was wrong. I was so wrong! He only got worse after we got married. And then he kept telling me that if he could just get away from all of his memories of his bad childhood that he would be happy. So, when he wanted to move away, I agreed. I saw it as an opportunity to do something to help him get better. The distance from his childhood didn't work either. And once we were up there, his anger got worse and became almost constant. It all finally came to a head about two and a half weeks ago and I couldn't take it anymore. So I left him. I packed as much as I could fit in the truck and I got out of there."

Jasper totally shocks me when he gets up from the couch to kneel in front of me. He wipes the tear away that I had not even realized was rolling down my cheek. And then he offers me a ray of hope.

"Bella, I know that you have been hurt and need a strong support system to help you through this. If you would let me, I would like to be a part of that. Will you let me be your friend? Can I help to prove to you that he was the exception and not the rule?"

I look away and make eye contact with Emmett who just nods at me to say that he thinks that I should. When I look back at Jasper I can't help the tears that overflow and create a waterfall down my face. He wipes them away as I respond.

"I would like that Jasper. I would like that very much."

His face holds so much that I need… Hope, Reassurance, and something that just feels right. I can't quite explain it, but I know that having Jasper in my life, even if only as a friend, is the right thing to do.

I look up to Emmett, who is now standing, and he just smiles at me. I know that he agrees with my mental assessment.

Finally he breaks through my moment of clarity.

"You should probably get some more rest. Why don't you go lie down and I will get you more water and some crackers for later?"

"Thanks, Em. That sounds like a great idea."

Jasper helps me out of the chair and I head back to my room. As I take off the hoodie and climb back into bed, he leans against the doorframe.

"Bella, thank you for telling me all of that. You didn't have to. I know that you were my student, but we really just met again. I appreciate that you let me in so willingly. It must be hard to talk about all of that stuff. So… thank you. I mean that. And I mean what I say about wanting to help you through all of this. You need people in your corner and I intend to be there for you every step of the way."

"Thank you, Jasper. I thought it would be unbearable to talk about Edward this soon, but you are really easy to talk to. I just hope that Emmett is not too upset."

Right on cue, Em walks through the doorway. He has a big glass of water and a sleeve of saltine crackers. He walks up to my bed and places them on the bedside table.

"Thanks, Em. I'm really glad you guys came over."

"We are too, Belly Bean. Now you get some rest and I will call you later and check on you. Your phone is on silent so that you can sleep."

With that, he takes my phone out of his back pocket and places it on the table next to the crackers. My eyes are already starting to droop closed. I am not sure how much longer I can stay awake.

I guess Jasper notices because he comments on it almost as soon as I think it.

"You look like you are about to pass out. Come on, Emmett. Let's head out so she can sleep. I hope you get to feeling better soon, Bella."

Jasper turns to walk back down the hall, leaving Em alone with me.

"Sleep tight Bells. I'll lock up behind us."

He leans down and kisses the top of my head while pulling the covers up. With such a simply gesture, I know how lucky his girls are. I hope they never have to go through what I did with Edward.

Emmett turns out the light and shuts my door behind him.

I am so exhausted that I fall asleep before I even hear him close the front door.

Today was a rough day. Being sick and talking to Edward are tiring enough individually, but when you put them together, they are hard to get through. I have no idea how I made it through today, but I did, and I am hopeful for what tomorrow brings.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**I am sorry it is a little short. RL was making it very difficult to find time and I really wanted to get something out for you all before I lost my Internet. **

**This was hard for me to write. Please review and tell me your thoughts. I want to hear from you. I want to hear if you like it or if you think that I am totally screwing it all up. Sadly, what she said about Edward was true to my life. I do not want pity, or sympathy. But it would be nice to know that you appreciate me putting it out there for you. So please, hit Review and leave me your thoughts. **

**Come visit my new blog. **

**http:/theh20c00ler(dot)blogspot(dot)com/**

**replace the (dot) with . and the 0's are zeros**

**Xoxo**

**~SGR**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **

**First, I own none of it. Wish I did. I only own my plot, Haley, and Emmalie. **

**Second, I want to thank my team for their patience. Korry, Emily, Lindsey, and Mella are fabu! Mella is new to the team and has already done so much for me. With her help, I am editing chapters one through eight, so be on the look out for cleaner versions. **

**Third, to my readers, thank you so much for your patience. You are all amazing. I promise I am making it up to you with this chapter. **

**That is all for now. Hit "Review" when you are done and let me know what you think. I know I have not been responding to them because of RL getting so crazy, but I do read and love every single one of them. Please keep it up. **

**Happy Reading.**

**~SGR**

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><p><em>Last time on Ancient History:<em>

_Jasper turns to walk back down the hall, leaving Em alone with me._

_"Sleep tight Bells. I'll lock up behind us."_

_He leans down and kisses the top of my head while pulling the covers up. With such a simply gesture, I know how lucky his girls are. I hope they never have to go through what I did with Edward._

_Emmett turns out the light and shuts my door behind him._

_I am so exhausted that I fall asleep before I even hear him close the front door._

_Today was a rough day. Being sick and talking to Edward are tiring enough individually, but when you put them together, they are hard to get through. I have no idea how I made it through today, but I did, and I am hopeful for what tomorrow brings._

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><p>I wake up the next morning and still feel awful. I end up going to Charlie's doctor and find out for certain that I have the stomach flu. Doctor Webber told me that all I could really do was try to stay hydrated. I drink as much water as I could, but throw up almost as much as I drink.<p>

A week passes and I'm finally starting to feel better. It's a good thing too—I have roughly one week before meetings and training start for the next school year.

I've been eating a lot of soup and crackers during my week of recovery. Charlie has eaten a few meals at Emmett and Rose's because I haven't been feeling up to cooking. In fact, he even made me soup a few of the nights that he stayed home. I was shocked—Charlie always took care of me when I was sick, but it normally involved ordering food from the diner and either bringing it in or having it delivered.

Emmett and Rose come over to check on me regularly, and I talk to Jasper at least once a day on the phone, but it's mostly about how I'm feeling, and the upcoming meetings. It seems that he really does want to be my friend, and wasn't just saying it to say it. He is really planning on proving that this weekend, however.

Our meetings start on Monday, and all of my stuff is still at Edward's house. Charlie wants to go with me to get all of my stuff, but he has to work all weekend. So, Emmett and Jasper have volunteered to go with me.

The week flies by, and now we're on our way up there in Jasper's truck. I hope that it is big enough to get everything, but I'm willing to leave things behind if it means being done with Edward. I am still counting down the days until the divorce is final. He still has not signed the papers, so there's no telling when that will be.

I'm brought out of my thoughts by Jasper and Em's banter in the front seat. It takes me a second to realize that they are talking about the guy they hired to be the assistant coach.

"Em, I can't just hire James on to be the assistant coach. He has to have an actual teaching position or the district wont pay his salary."

"Are you kidding me? So you will have to create something for him to do all day, when all we really need is someone for a few hours before and after school?"

I just sit back and listen for a little bit, as I really have no say in any of this anyways.

"Yes, that's exactly what I am saying. So I'm thinking about adding shop and home econ. I know that we won't have enough kids taking either to fill more than a couple classes a day, but I was hoping that you would switch off with him. We can have shop during the same blocks as your health classes and you can switch at the end of the semester. First semester you teach health and James will teach shop and then swap for second semester, and he can be your assistant during the phys ed classes."

"Jasper, you genius! There's only one problem with that. Who is going to teach home ec? It sure as hell ain't gonna be me!"

"I was actually hoping that Bella could take that one for us."

That got my attention.

"Wait—you want me to teach baking and how to budget the grocery money? Please tell me I am not going to have to make them carry around an 'egg baby' for the whole semester, or pair them up and make them run a household together."

At that Emmett and Jasper are laughing so hard that Jasper has to pull the truck off to the side of the road.

"Oh, Belly, that is classic!"

"Actually Bella, your curriculum is up to you, but I have a feeling that stuff is way too old fashioned for these kids. I was thinking more along the lines of a little basic cooking skills, but mainly things like building a résumé, good interviewing skills, money management, business management, and job skills. We could call it something other than 'home economics' if you want."

I am intrigued. That actually sounds like it could be really fun.

"Wow. How about we call it 'economics'? Hopefully it wont be all girls either. I am actually kind of excited about this. When would it be?"

"Let's see. Your yearbook group meets during the last class of the day, every other day. And you have journalism the first two classes of every day. So, how about we do econ opposite yearbook and that way you will still have third period as your free period every day?"

"Belly Bean, you are so lucky! My free period is during first period, but I still have to be there early in the morning because of practices."

Em actually pouts like a little kid about that. Well, he pouts until Jasper tells him about his new plans.

"Actually, Emmett, I think that is going to change too. I am rearranging your schedules to allow you, James, and Bella to all have third period off every day. Since you and James will be there early and staying late because of the teams and Bella will be coming early and staying late during the second semester because of the yearbook, I thought it would be nice it you all could have an extended lunch break. And I also thought that you and James could use the same break time to plan or you and Bella could use it just to have lunch together or whatever."

"Wow! Tthanks, Jasper. I guess I can put up with Em for a little while in the middle of the workday."

Jasper and I both laugh while Emmett pretends to be hurt by my words.

"Belly Bean, you wound me. You can put up with me?"

He finishes his act with a very over dramatic huff while crossing his arms over his chest and looking out the window.

Once he realizes that neither of us are buying it, he brings the conversation around to the task at hand.

"Bells, what should we be expecting when we get to Edward's? I mean, he does know we're coming, right? Is he going to be there? Is he going to be alone?"

"Honestly, Em, I have no idea. I told him that we would be coming today and I called him while I was walking down to your place, but I don't know what it will be like when we get there. I do know that there will be a police officer there to help control the situation."

Esme had suggested that we request to be met there by the local police because of Edward's violent nature. I mentioned it to Charlie and he immediately agreed. I know for a fact that he would have loved to have been that officer, but since we are several hours from home and he has no jurisdiction here, I had to get someone else.

"Bella, I really am glad that you did that. I know that Emmett and I will be more than happy to protect you if we need to, but it is best that the law enforcement is there. Hopefully, he won't try anything, and we can get your stuff and get out without incident."

"Thanks, Jasper. It really means a lot to me that you are both giving up your Saturday to come up here with me. I don't know if I could have faced him again on my own."

"Sure you would have, Bells! We come from the same family tree and it's a very strong tree. You would have been fine. However, I am still glad that Jas and I could come with you."

Just as Emmett says that we pull into the town, and I give Jasper directions on getting to the house. When we get there, I notice three things.

First, the police officers are not there yet. Second, all of my stuff is bagged up and sitting under the carport, and third, Edward is sitting on the front porch with his arms crossed over his chest and his shotgun leaning up against his chair, smoking a cigarette.

I sigh and bury my face in my hands, completely embarrassed by the fact that Emmett and Jasper know I was married to this cretin. I never wanted anyone to know that this is what my life was like.

We pull up into the driveway and Jasper turns off the engine.

"Guys, if you wanna just stay in the truck, I can take care of all of this. I'm sure that he's gonna make an ass of himself and there is no need for you to be subjected to it."

"Belly, are you kidding me? Do you really think that either one of us came all the way up here just to be a chauffeur? No! So stop talking like that. We are going to get out of this truck and we are going to load your stuff up. Before we put anything in the truck, however, the two of us are going to walk you through the house to make sure that there is nothing still there that you will want. Deal?"

I see no way out of it. I know that they're about to see what I was subjected to for the last few years. I sigh in defeat.

"Okay, Emmett. You are right. Let's get this over with, guys."

We open the doors and step out of the truck, only to see Edward stand up and grab his gun. The next thing I know, we are staring at the business end of a double barrel.

I put my hands up in the air and try to diffuse the situation.

"Jasper, Emmett, why don't you guys start putting stuff in the truck, and I'll talk to Edward for a moment?"

Both of the guys protest, but eventually cave and do as I ask. I turn my attention back to Edward and see that he still has the shotgun in his hands, but has at least lowered it.

"Edward, I think you know that this is unnecessary. Please, put the gun down. Talk to me. What's with the hostility?"

"Seriously, Bella? You come up on my property with guys I don't even know and you don't expect me to defend what is mine? What did you think would happen? Who are they anyways? Is one of them the guy you were cheating on me with? Did you leave me for one of those tools?"

I cannot believe that we are about to have this argument again. I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves before I respond.

"No, Edward. First of all, you know Emmett. He is my cousin. You met him at Christmas last year. If anything I should be upset by what little effort you obviously put in to getting to know my family, if you'd think that he's someone I would cheat with! Second, Jasper is my new boss, so don't even go there. He was one of my high school teachers and now he's the principal at the school. I already have a job there. Speaking of which, how is your job search going?"

I know it's petty, but I find myself rubbing it in that I already have a job and he has yet to find one that he can stay at more than a week or so. He totally ignores my question.

"Right—why would your boss want to come up here and help you get your stuff if you weren't giving him something in return? I know what a whore you really are. Don't try and tell me that you're not paying him back by sleeping with him!"

I am shocked by what I am hearing, and clearly, so are the guys. Just as I open my mouth to say something in return, Emmett and Jasper head over to us. Emmett starts yelling at Edward before he even gets to where we're standing on the porch.

"HEY! Watch what the Hell you say to her! We get that you don't like what's going on and don't want us here, but there's no reason to talk like that to her. She did nothing to you."

That really gets Edward fired up.

"Really? REALLY? She did nothing to me? How about she lied to me every day when she told me that she loved me? Or when she married me and promised to be there for better or for worse til death do us part? She's not dead and I sure as Hell ain't dead either! Although one of those might be able to be arranged!"

At that, Jasper grabs me by the arm and pulls me behind him as he steps between Edward and myself. I'm slightly stunned, but I'm pulled out of if when Jasper addresses Edward.

"Like Hell! You lay one hand on her and you're gonna wish you were dead. I swear to God! Bella did nothing wrong. I haven't known her that long, but I can already tell you that she doesn't deserve to be treated like this. And if this is what your marriage was like—ha! No wonder she left your miserable ass! Now, if you would be so kind as to step aside and let her go in to the house—"

Edward is not having any of it.

"She has no reason to go in there. All of her shit is out here. There's nothing left for her in _my_house."

At this point, Emmett steps from beside me to in front of me to stand next to Jasper. I feel like I have my own personal bodyguards. If the situation weren't so awful, I would laugh.

When Emmett speaks, his voice is surprisingly calm.

"Edward, man, just let her walk through the house and make sure that nothing of hers is still in there. If you don't trust her, go in with her, but know that if you go, so do we."

"Fine. Let's go. I can't fucking believe this shit! I have to fucking escort you around _my_ house. MOTHER FUCKER!" He kicks a chair and sends it flying across the porch, but leads us in to the house.

He stops in the living room and I walk around looking at everything. I go through the DVD's and see that a couple of mine are still in there. I know that it was an accident, because I know that he would not intentionally keep Chicago and RENT. As I move in to the kitchen to go through the cabinets, he follows, muttering obscenities under his breath, and Jasper and Emmett follow him.

We make it all the way through the house and have only found a few things that had been overlooked by Edward. The whole time we are going through the house, he is following me and trash-talking me under his breath. He calls me all kinds of names and tries his hardest to get a reaction out of me, but I just ignore him and keep my mouth shut.

We get back outside just in time to see a police cruiser pull into the driveway behind Jasper's truck. Emmett goes to talk to the officers while Jasper puts the rest of the stuff in the truck. I turn around and speak to Edward for the first time since he called me a whore.

"Edward, have you signed the papers yet? If they're ready, I'll just take them and you won't have to mail them. It will make the process faster too."

"I can't fucking believe this. Yes, I have 'em—let me get 'em. Don't you dare come back in my fuckin' house."

He turns around and walks in to the house. While he is inside, Emmett comes up and stands next to me. I look up and see that he is trying his hardest to control his emotions at the moment. None of us want Edward to know how much his actions and words are getting to us.

Edward comes out of the house with an envelope in his hand. He hands it over to me and scoffs as I open it to see if everything is done. Once I made sure that everything is in order, I put the papers back in the envelope.

"Thank you. I guess there's nothing left to do. Oh, wait—you need your key back."

I start to pull his key off of my key ring when he stops me.

"There's no point. Do you really think that I would keep the locks the same and let you be able to get into my house after you left me? Fuck that! I changed the locks the day after you left."

"Fine Edward, but that was really unnecessary. So, now there really is nothing else. Goodbye, Edward. I hope that things work out for you, I really do. I just wasn't the right person. Good luck. Goodbye."

"What the fuck ever, Isabella. Fuck you and your nice life. I don't give a damn about what you hope for. Get the fuck off my property!"

Emmett is shaking with anger, but controlling himself quite well. I did, however, have to grab his arm and pull him back to the truck.

"Guys, let's just go home. I'm so done with this place—and him."

As we get in the truck and the cruiser pulls away, Edward starts yelling again.

"Run away again you stupid little whore! That's all you're good at anyways. Don't fuckin' come back. You aren't welcome here anymore. Fuckin' run home to daddy with your new little fuck buddy. How much does he pay you to fuck him?"

He's still yelling as we pull out of his drive and down the street. The last thing that I hear is something about how Jasper can't pay much because I am not worth much. I am trying my hardest to hold the tears at bay, but I'm not very successful. It doesn't help that I can tell Em's upset too.

"Jas, pull over."

"No."

"Come on, man. Someone needs to shut him up."

"No, Emmett. I am not going to lose my best coach and best friend because you stooped to his level."

"Please Jas, I won't do any permanent damage."

I know that he just wants to defend be because he loves me so much, but I have had enough to this day already and all I want to do is curl up in my bed and be invisible until work on Monday.

"Guys, can we just go? I just want to be away from here. I'm ready to be home."

"Sorry, Belly. Jas is right. And Doucheward isn't worth it anyways. Let's get you home."

The guys start talking about something and I get lost in my thoughts. Thoughts of Edward, our marriage, how awful he is, and the things he said. The next thing I know I am crying. Jasper notices it and gives me a sympathetic look in the rear-view mirror. He turns on the radio and turns up the volume a little to give me some sense of privacy with my thoughts. I end up crying myself to sleep in the back seat of the truck while they listen to music and talk. When I wake up, we are diving down the street that Em and I live on.

Charlie steps out of the house as we pull into the drive, and the guys start to unload everything as I get out of the truck. I walk up to my dad and he puts his arms around me, giving me the biggest hug I have ever received from him. We stand for a while just holding each other. It's exactly what I need after dealing with Edward.

The guys get everything unloaded and are about to head back to Jasper's place. Emmett tells me that he will call me later as he is getting in the truck. I am about to go in the house when Jasper comes up to me.

"Bella, I meant what I said to Edward. I know I am just getting to know you, but you really do deserve better than him. And if the next guy you date treats you like that, Emmett, Charlie, and I will take care of him ourselves."

He chuckles as he says is, but the tone of his voice tells me that he is totally serious about what he just said.

"Thank you, Jasper. Thank you for everything. Thank you for coming up there today, for defending me, for not prying when you saw me crying, just … for everything."

"Anytime, Darlin'. That's what friends are for. Come here."

He holds his arms out and pulls me into an embrace that tells me that he really does want to be there for me. It is nice and I feel comforted and comfortable in his arms. As we pull away he looks into my eyes, and I feel like he is gazing into my soul.

"Call me if you need anything at all. I'll be here in a nanosecond."

"Thank you, Jasper. I think I am just going to go to bed. I'll see you on Monday."

I wave "bye" to Emmett, head inside, go upstairs, and crawl into bed. I don't even bother changing clothes. Just as I am staring at the ceiling, trying to clear my head to sleep, I hear a knock on my door.

"Come in."

"Bells, I just wanted to check on you and see if you felt up to talking with your old man for a bit."

"Thanks Dad. I'm okay, just emotionally drained. I think I just want to call it a night. Can we talk tomorrow? I'll make dinner and we can talk when you get home from work."

"That sounds perfect, Bells. Get some rest and I will talk to you tomorrow. I love you Kiddo. Don't you ever forget that."

"Thanks Dad. I love you, too. Good night."

Charlie closes the door behind him and goes about his business. I roll over and drift off to sleep.

I get up the next day and shower and lay around the house until it is time to start cooking. I make dinner, then Charlie and I eat and talk when he gets home from work. He is upset by Edward's behavior, but glad that Emmett did not do anything that would get him in trouble.

I am so tired of thinking about Edward and my past, so I go to bed vowing to only look towards the future.

I wake up Monday morning and get ready for work. As I am walking out to my truck, Emmett drives by in the Jeep.

"Hey Belly. Mornin'. Wanna ride in with me?"

"Mornin' Em. Sure, that sounds great. Thanks."

I get in the Jeep and we head to the school for our our preparatory meetings.

When we pull into the parking lot, I see Jasper's truck and several other vehicles that are familiar from around town. Emmett parks next to Jasper and we head in to the building.

The first session of the day is a "get to know you" session. Jasper has planned icebreaker games and all sorts of fun ways for us to meet all of the faculty and staff without it feeling like an hour of speed dating. Fortunately for me, I'm not the only new faculty.

During the first game, we have the options of charades or win, lose, or draw. The only problem is we have to decide on how we're going to get the rest of the staff to guess what we did over the summer. If we decide to draw, we are the only ones up there. If we act it out, we're allowed one person to help us.

I am not about to draw out divorce papers, or a truckload of my stuff and Edward sitting on the porch with his shotgun. I go to Emmett to try and figure out what I should do.

"Em, what am I going to do? I really don't want everyone knowing my sob story the first day, or ever, for that matter."

"Bells, don't worry about it. I have your back. We'll do charades and act out that we went on a road trip together. It's partly true—they don't have to know the rest of it. And, it will serve for both of us instead of just one of us."

"Thank you so much, Emmett. That's a fantastic idea."

When it is our turn, we go up there and act like we are sitting in a car. I hold my arms out like I am holding a map. It's funny because we look like we are in a Flintstones car, running all over the stage.

James, Emmett's new assistant coach, is the first one to guess it, but now everyone wants to know why we went on a road trip together, so we tell them that I'm Charlie's daughter, and all of a sudden, I'm a celebrity.

I can't get back to my seat fast enough; I hate being the center of attention and it seems that I have become exactly that. Fortunately for me, James stands up and announces in his best coach voice that he wants to take his turn. As he walks past me to head up to the front of the room, he stops at my chair. I get a chill running down my spine as he leans forward and whispers in my ear.

"You can thank me later, Beautiful."

When I turn around and make eye contact with him, he winks at me and flashes me a toothy grin. I notice for the first time all morning that James is rather attractive. He is about the same height as Emmett and Jasper, but has a thinner build than Em. I guess he and Jasper have about the same build, muscular, but not bulky. He has light brown, crew cut hair and beautiful blue eyes. He has a strong jaw and perfectly straight teeth.

He must be aware of my gawking, because he chuckles as he turns to continue up to the drawing board. He's a horrible artist and it takes forever for someone to guess that he moved over the summer. Thankfully, that makes him the new shiny toy, and takes the heat off of me.

The rest of the morning is filled with more games and fun. By the time lunch comes around, I'm famished. I grab some of the pizza that Jasper has provided for all of us and stand in the front of the cafeteria looking for a place to eat. All of a sudden I feel like I'm back in high school. I turn around and start to walk outside. I would rather eat under a tree, alone, than deal with the embarrassment of standing there with nowhere to sit.

Just as I reach the door, I hear my name from a few feet behind me. I turn around and see James standing at a table by himself. He holds out a chair and motions for me to join him.

"Bella, please join me. I don't know anyone and I don't want to eat alone. You can consider this payback for earlier."

I think about his offer and look around for Jasper or Emmett. I don't see them anywhere, so I know that it is either sit with James or sit alone.

"Sure."

I take the seat that he has pulled out for me and fall into easy conversation with him. He knows nothing about me and I know nothing about him, so that makes finding something to talk about a breeze. We discuss what it was like for me to grow up here and attend this high school and I feel a presence behind me.

I turn around and see Jasper watching me with curiosity in his eyes. I motion for him to join us, and before he starts to come our way he looks over his shoulder and gets Emmett's attention. He points to where I am seated with James and they both head our way. When they get to the table, Jasper and Emmett set their lunches down on either side of me, causing James to have to scoot his plate and chair over some, and I can't help but chuckle at the way it feels like Em and Jasper are staking their claim on me.

"Hey guys. Glad you could join us. James was just asking what it was like to go to school here."

At that, the three of us start laughing and it only gets worse when we see the look of confusion on James's face. Jasper is the first to speak up.

"Actually James, Bella was one of my first students. I taught her history. But she was not the woman you see before you today."

"Right! Our little Bells was a little bit shy. She had a thing ..."

I realize that he is about to tell them that I had a thing for Jasper back when I was a student. I decide to distract them.

"Emmett! If you are going to tell on me, at least let me do it! I had a thing about studying. I was the second in the class and when it was time for our final exams, my senior year, I could have skipped them all and still had an 'A' in every class. I was a nerd, but the only time I talked to anyone was when I was answering a teacher."

I kick Emmett under the table and give him a dirty look. I don't know if he understands or not, but I do know that he won't bring up my crush on Jasper again. I really don't know how I feel about Jasper now, but I don't want to risk our friendship or my job to find out.

We all talk a while before we have to go back into meetings. We have speakers all afternoon. At the end of the day, Emmett and I leave and I am so drained. Who knew that sitting in meetings all day could take so much out of you?

Charlie and I are eating dinner, later that night, when he tells me that he is leading our Tuesday in-service. It is all about sexual harassment in the workplace, sexual assault on the students, and reporting physical and sexual abuse in the homes of the children. Apparently that is why he had to work this weekend. He had to make sure that he had tomorrow off.

Tuesday morning comes and Charlie and I ride to school together. The morning passes by with sessions on our behavior towards each other as coworkers. The gist of the lecture is it is okay to date a coworker, but not okay to make a coworker uncomfortable with advances that they do not return.

Lunch is similar to yesterday, only Charlie is sitting with us this time. He keeps shooting weird looks back and forth from Jasper to James. I don't quite understand what that is about, but I just let it go. I will ask Dad when we are alone, at home. Well, I will if I remember, that is.

After lunch the meetings take on a more somber tone. It is one thing to talk about how we treat each other, but it is totally different to talk about the kids being abused. It is not an easy topic to discuss at all.

Charlie makes it even harder by showing us videos and slideshows. At one point, we are looking at slides of common bruising and how to differentiate between the stages of bruising. The videos we watch are on how to recognize an abused child by their behavior. It really is sad and disturbing. The more I see this stuff the more I just want to run up to Charlie and hug him for being such a great dad.

By the time we all go home, we are emotionally drained because of Charlie's presentations. I feel bad for him that he had to do that research and come up with the stuff to tell us, but even more so, I feel bad for the fact that we have to have that. Abuse happens every day and I am just glad that we are now equipped to do what we can to stop it.

The rest of the week goes by rather uneventfully. Friday gets here a lot faster than I thought that it would. We actually manage to get more done than we had planned and we are able to finish the training just before lunch. Instead of ordering something for our lunches, Jasper just lets us all out early. After he bids us a happy weekend and we all make plans to come up the next week to work in our classrooms, he walks up to where Emmett, James, and I are standing. Just before he gets to where we are, James turns to me.

"Bella, Would you care to join me for lunch? I don't know many places to go and I figure a native would have some better ideas than a transplant."

Just then, Jasper steps into our small circle.

"Actually, I was gonna ask Bella and Emmett to join me at the diner. Would you like to join us too, James?"

A sneer flashes across James's face, but as quickly as it is there, it is gone.

"Sure, Jasper. Thanks."

We head for the parking lot and I start to follow Em to the Jeep. I stop when I feel a tug on my arm. Turning around, I see James standing behind me. Jasper and Emmett have stopped walking and are turning around as well.

"Bella, I don't know where the diner is…"

Jasper interrupts him and begins to give him directions.

"Take a left out of the parking lot…"

James squares his jaw and flares his nostrils.

"Actually, I was just hoping that Bella would ride with me. It would make it a lot easier."

"Oh, okay... I don't see anything wrong with that. I'll see you guys over there."

As we walk to the car, I can see Jasper and Emmett talking and watching us while they head to their vehicles. I guess they're just looking out for me—we haven't known James all that long, after all.

James and I talk about a few trivial things on the way to the diner. We don't have too long to talk, because we don't have that far to drive.

When we arrive, Jasper and Emmett have beaten us there. They are seated at a square table and are sitting across from each other, forcing James and me to sit across from one another as well. Through out the meal, I find that there seems to be some sort of pissing contest, if you will, between the guys. I have never been in a situation where the guys were not already all friends. So, I guess this is just how it goes for them.

Even though James offers, Jasper insists on treating everyone to lunch. When he is up at the register paying, Emmett steps to the restroom. James seizes the opportunity to slide into Jasper's chair and talk to me alone.

"Bella, I know that you and I are still getting to know each other, but I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night, just the two of us."

"Like a date? I don't know. My divorce isn't even finalized yet."

"I know that. And I am not going to force you to do anything that you don't want to do. I just really want a chance to get to know you without all of the usual interruptions. How about you come over to my place tomorrow night and just have a casual dinner with me, no pressure, just friends."

Just as I am about to respond, I look up and Jasper is standing to the side of the table. He makes eye contact with me and shakes his head slightly. I am confused and clearly it shows on my face, because before I can answer James, Jasper intervenes.

"Hey Bells, can I talk to you for a second. I'm sorry to interrupt, James. I just really need to ask her a question. Will you excuse us for just a moment?"

I get up and walk off with Jasper. We step to the restrooms just as Emmett is coming out. He joins us in our hushed conversation.

"Bella, why was James asking you over to his place?"

"He said that he wanted to bet to know me better. He asked me to come over tomorrow night for dinner."

"Belly, do you think that is really smart considering you are still married to another man?"

"Thanks for pointing that out, Emmett. I know that I am still married and I am not planning on doing anything other than having dinner with the man and talking about myself a little bit. There is nothing wrong with that. And do I have to remind you that I am a grown woman and I can make my own decisions? I hope not, because if I do, I'll just call Rose and let her remind you for me."

With that, I turn away from them and storm back to the table. When I address James, I make sure that I 'm loud enough for all three of the guys to hear me.

"James, I'd love to have dinner with you. Call me tomorrow and tell me when and where. I'll see you then."

I write my number down on the napkin and make my way out of the restaurant. I rode to work this morning with Emmett, but I'm so frustrated with him at the moment that I'd rather walk home than deal with him. Fortunately for me, it's only a few blocks.

I can hear an engine pulling up behind me when I get to the end of the block. Jasper pulls up beside me and rolls his window down.

"Bella, please let me take you home. You don't have to walk. I was out of line, but I was only looking out for you. Please, get in."

I look over at him and see sincerity in his caring eyes, so I get in the truck and let him drive me home.

"Jasper, why does it matter if I have dinner with James?"

"I just don't want to see you get hurt again. We don't know much about James other than what I learned in the interview. For all we know, he could be just like Edward. And I don't want that for you. You deserve so much better than that. I just …"

He opens his mouth to continue, but stops himself.

"What Jasper? You just what?"

"Nothing Bells. Don't worry about it."

"Okay Jas. Well, we're here. I guess I'll talk to you later."

I go to get out of his truck when he places his hand on mine. The contact sends a shudder through my body. I turn to look at him. His eyes are look almost pleading.

"Will you please call me when you leave his house tomorrow night? I just need to know that you're fine."

"Um … sure Jas, I'll call you. I'll talk to you then. Goodbye."

I don't know why he needs me to call him, but something in me likes the idea of Jasper wanting to make sure that I'm okay after leaving James's place. I get out of the truck and head to the house.

Over the course of the rest of that day and the first half of the next, I ignore phone call after phone call from Emmett. I do call Rose and talk to her. She agrees one hundred percent with me and finally tells Em to stop calling me. She tells him that I'll call him when I'm good and ready to talk to him.

I get a text from James around noon asking if four that evening is all right and telling me his address. I respond that it's fine and that I'll see him there.

Just before I leave my house to head to James's, I receive a text from Jasper.

**Bella- Please be careful tonight. Call me if you need anything, even if it's just a ride home. And please call me when you're leaving. I want to know how it goes.** -**Jasper**

I quickly text him back before I leave.

**Jas~ Thank you. I'll let you know if I need you, otherwise I'll talk to you after. ~Bells**

I get to James's house and knock on the door. When he opens it, I'm immediately thrown off course by the lit candles and soft jazz music playing in the living room.

"Hello there, Beautiful. Please come in."

I notice that instead of having the table set, there's a blanket on the floor with the plates and glasses sitting on it. On the counter, there's an unopened bottle of wine. After taking in my surroundings, I realize that this isn't at all what I thought. It seems Jas and Em were right. I just hope that James doesn't try to push this further than I want it to go.

I step inside and set my purse down on the table by the entryway, able to fully take in my surroundings now. His house is small, but not cramped or crowded. It's minimally furniture, but it allows more space in the small rooms.

I realize that my phone's still in my purse, so I turn around and take it out. After putting it in the back pocket of my jeans, I leave the foyer and step into the living room.

"Would you like a glass of wine? I have a red out, but could grab the blush or white if you prefer those."

What I'd really prefer is a beer, but I don't want to sound picky.

"Red is fine, but only a small glass please."

"Sure. Have a seat and make yourself comfortable. I thought maybe we could just chat for a bit and then eat. I fixed us a romaine and salmon salad—I hope that's okay"

"That's fine. I happen to love both romaine lettuce and salmon. Thank you."

He hands me a glass of wine before he sits on the other end of the couch. We have our backs resting on the arms so that we're facing each other.

I sit nervously. fidgeting with the hem of my jeans. After what seems like forever, James speaks first.

"Wow. I have to admit that it's been a while since I've dated anyone, and I'm kind of nervous. I'm sorry I'm not a better host."

I let out a nervous chuckle.

"It's fine. I'll admit I'm a little nervous as well. I haven't dated anyone since my husband—I mean ex-husband. Well, almost ex-husband. See? I'm a mess. Are you sure you want me here?"

"Bella, there's no one I'd rather have here right now. Let's just enjoy this wine and the company and relax. There's really nothing for either of us to be nervous about."

"No, you are right … unless you have plans for me that I don't agree with."

I laugh, but part of me is totally serious. I really don't know James that well, and am slightly bothered by the fact that Jasper feels the need to have me call him as soon as I'm done. As the daughter of the Chief of Police, I was taught to never let my guard down, especially not when my gut's telling me that I need to be on my guard. So, it's hard for me to totally relax, but I try my best.

"How about I show you around, and hopefully that and the wine will take the edge off for both of us."

"Sure, James, that sounds like a good idea."

We walk through his small house. He shows me the guest room he's converted into a mini gym, the bathroom, and the hall closet. My nerves are just starting to go away when he walks up to the only door left in the hallway.

"This is the master bedroom. I'd like to say that this is where the magic happens, but that'd be a lie. There hasn't been any magic happening since before I moved here."

And with that one statement, my nerves are back. I thought that I'd be coming over here just to hang out as friends. I had no idea that this would be a candle-lit dinner date.

I try to laugh as if he just made a joke, but it gets tramples in my throat by the butterflies trying to escape from my stomach. Most of the time, butterflies are a good thing, but I've yet to determine if these are good or bad.

The sheets on his full size bed are not made. I can't tell if he's sloppy, or if he just wanted his bed to look inviting. I'm still unsure about the whole situation. Just as I start to try and figure it out, James pulls me out of my thoughts and inner ramblings.

"Come here, I want to show you the best part of the whole house."

He grabs the hand not holding my wine glass and pulls me deep in to his bedroom. When I realize that he's pulling me towards his bed, I tip my glass up and guzzle the wine that's in it. I hope that it'll calm my nerves. If this turns ugly, I _will _call Emmett, Dad, or Jasper. Any of them would be more than willing to come get me.

James, still holding my hand, turns and sits on the edge of his bed. I take my hand back from his and reach to my back pocket to grab for my phone. I can't believe that the best part of the whole house is his bed and that he's tricked me into coming into his bedroom. I'm so angry at myself. I'm normally more level headed than this!

Once again, he pulls me from my thoughts.

"Bella, what's wrong? Did I say something or do something to upset you?"

"Well, yes you did. I came here to have dinner with a new friend, not a date and next thing I know, you're inviting me into your bed. I'm not that kind of girl, James. And even if I were, you have to remember that I'm still married! I know that Edward and I aren't together anymore, but that in no way means that I'm just going to climb right into bed with you!"

When I stop ranting, I notice that James is smirking at me. The nerve of him to smirk and laugh at what I was just saying!

"Are you done Bella?"

"What? What's wrong with you?"

"Bella, turn around. Look in the bathroom."

I huff, but do as he asked. I hadn't even noticed that there's a doorway on the wall parallel to his bed.

I step into the bathroom to see what he's talking about while he chuckles at me from the bed.

What I see before me stuns me. The rest of the house was nice, but worn, old. The master bathroom, however, is state of the art amazing. The counter top is marble with two deep sinks set in. The shower is double headed, one on each side. The toilet is one that will flush when you move away from it, but also has a manual flush, just in case. As I turn around to leave the bathroom, I am stopped by a gorgeous sight. The bathtub is not a bath tub at all, but it's a five person hot tub. I've heard of Jacuzzi tubs being in master bathrooms before, but never a hot tub. I'm running my hand over the edge of it when James steps into the door way.

"Like what you see, Bella?"

He chuckles as he comes to stand next to me. I'm overcome with embarrassment.

"Oh my God, James I'm so sorry. I can't believe that I thought you were trying to get me into bed. I feel awful! Can you forgive me and pretend that it never even happened? Please?"

"Pretend that what happened? I don't know what you're talking about."

He looked at me with a proud smirk and laughed out loud.

"James, I don't mean to insult the rest of the house, but how is it that this bathroom is so amazing?"

"Well, I put myself through college by working for a construction company. We did remodels, so it gave me the experience to be able to do my own remodel. I'm planning on re-doing the entire house, but wanted to start with the bathroom. Do you really think that it's amazing?"

"Yes, it's fabulous. I can't believe that you did this all yourself."

"You should've seen your face earlier, Bella. It was classic. I can't believe you thought I was just trying to get you in my bed."

James starts laughing at me and he's laughing so hard that I can't help but to join him. I'm slightly embarrassed, but this is exactly what we need to break the tension that was so thick earlier.

When we finally compose ourselves, we go back in to the living room. I sit on the couch while James goes to fix our dinner. He comes out and I move down to the blanket he has set out on the floor for our picnic.

He sets a salad bowl in front of me and grabs my wine glass to refill it. When he comes back, he joins me on the blanket.

"This looks delicious. Did you also go to culinary school while you were learning how to remodel your own bathroom?"

"No. If I tell you my secret, you have to promise not to laugh at me."

He waits for me to agree.

"I promise, your secret's safe with me."

I motion like I'm zipping my lips and locking them, handing him the key.

"I watch Food Network all the time. I also watch a lot of HGTV."

I try my hardest not to laugh, but I just can't help it. It starts out as a slight snicker, but quickly becomes full-blown, can't catch my breath, tears rolling down my face, hysteria. I make eye contact with James and he's trying to glare at me. He has to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep from smiling. His eyes are slightly squinted, but the corners are turned up, showing the smile that the rest of his face is trying to hide.

I finally get myself under control and have to excuse myself to the bathroom. I use the facilities and wash my hands. I also notice that my face is read from laughing so hard, so I splash some cold water on it to bring my normal color back.

I'm startled when I open the door and James is standing in the doorway with his hands on the doorframe.

"You ready to eat dinner and finish that wine, or are you gonna laugh at me some more?"

I can tell by his tone that he's joking, but something about it has me ill at ease.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm done laughing at you, but it's only fair that I had a turn since you laughed at me earlier."

"You're right, Bella. I'm sorry. So I guess we're even. Let's go finish our drinks and dinner."

I'm really enjoying his company, but I'm not so sure if I like the fact that he keeps pushing the wine on me. He may not be trying to get me into his bed, but it does seem that he's trying to get me drunk.

I follow James back in to the living room where we sit and eat our meal. Over the course of the meal, we talk about our families and our childhoods. He tells me what made him move here and asks me why I moved back. I'd avoided talking about Edward as much as possible, but I know that people are going to want to know.

By the time I finish telling him about my relationship with Edward, leaving him, and going back last weekend to get my stuff, he's upset. He's not as angry as Emmett, Charlie, or Jasper, but he does express that he's not happy with Edward's behavior.

"I can't believe he treated you like that. You deserve so much better. I'm so sorry that you had to deal with that for so long. I do have to say though: you leaving when you did worked out to my benefit quite well."

"It was definitely not the marriage or relationship that I'd hoped for. However, it did make me stronger. And hopefully I'll be able to recognize that behavior if I'm ever subjected to it again."

"Yes, I hope you will, too, Bella. You don't have to worry about that with me. I mean—I know that we're only just getting to know each other, but you'll never have to worry about me treating you like that."

"Thank you James, that's good to know."

At this point we've finished eating and are on our third glass of wine. I am starting to feel a little lightheaded and know that it's about time to leave. I get up and bid James farewell.

"Thank you for a lovely evening. I really did have a blast. And don't worry; your secret's safe with me. Thank you for having me over. I guess I'll see you at work on Monday."

"That sounds great Bella. Thank you so much for coming over tonight. Next time I'll take you out."

He says that with a huge grin on his face. I did have fun tonight, so another date wouldn't be that bad.

"I think I can handle that. See you later, James."

I walk out to my truck and stumble slightly just before getting in. Fortunately, James doesn't see that. I get in my truck and start it just as my head starts swimming. I can't believe how quickly I went from slightly buzzed to drunk. I should know by now that wine sneaks up on me; it always does. I know I can't drive home like this. I also know that I can't walk home like this. I have to call someone. It's too late to call Emmett's house, and Charlie's at work. I take a deep breath and pull out my phone. I know what I have to do. I call Jasper and listen to the ringing as I wait for him to pick up.

It goes to his voicemail. At this point, my truck's spinning around me. I slump over in my seat and lie down, trying my hardest to leave a message, and just hoping that Jasper can understand what I'm saying.

"Jasperrrr, I drank… I drank toooo much wiiiiiiiiine. I had two, no I had three. Yeah I had three wines. Um, I can't, I can't drive. So I'm juuuust gonna sleeeep here. I'll jusssst call you tomooroooow."

The truck is still spinning around me, and I can't really form words anymore or open my eyes. My hand falls away from my head and my phone hits the floor of the truck. I am vaguely aware of it ringing over and over again, but don't have the strength to move, much less get it and answer.

I have a dream that someone is playing a drum next to me and shaking what I'm lying on. When I finally open my eyes I see that I was wrong. Jasper is standing outside my truck, shaking it and banging on the window.

I go to sit up and almost fall off of the seat of the truck. So, I decide that instead of sitting all the way up and scooting over to the driver side door, I'll just lift my hand and unlock the passenger side. Jasper sees what I'm doing and runs around to that side of the truck.

He opens the door and slides in with me. He scoots me over so that I can rest my head on his lap. I feel the warmth of his hands on my face and immediately lean in to his touch. I can't help the slight moan that escapes my lips at the comforting feel of his hands. I guess the wine has totally taken away all of my normal barriers.

"Bells, Darlin', how much did you drink tonight?"

"Jus … three."

I try to hold up three fingers, but I'm still having a hard time controlling my hands and arms.

"Three whats? Three glasses or three bottles?"

"Noooooo … threeee ... glasses."

Jasper shakes his head and chuckles at me. He's so cute. I still can't get over how good he looks after nine years. Once again, the wine takes over and next thing I know, verbal diarrhea, all over the inside of the truck.

"Jas, you're soooo cute. D'ju know that? I member in school, you're soooooo hot. I alwayzzzzzzzz hada crush… buyou nevrr saw me."

I feel Jasper wipe a tear away from my cheek. I make eye contact with him and he looks almost … sad? I can't quite place the look in his eyes.

Jasper shakes his head and slides out. I feel him lift me with ease and carry me to his truck. He places me in the back seat and goes back to mine for a little bit.

When he gets back in the truck, he's playing on my phone. He finishes whatever he was doing and places it with my purse on the passenger seat of the truck. I fall asleep on our way to wherever he is taking me.

I wake up and am immediately aware of several things. First, I have no idea where I am. Second, I don't remember anything after walking out of James's house, and third, I'm not in my clothes anymore, but boxers and an over-sized t-shirt instead. Fourth, I have a killer migraine from hell, and the sun coming through the window is making me feel nauseated because of the pain in my head.

I groan and roll away from the window. I'm trying to piece together the missing details of last night and this morning when I hear three male voices in the other room. I get up slowly and make my way out of the bedroom. I hope that whoever it is in the front of this house can answer my questions and put the puzzle together for me.

When I step in to the living room, I gasp at the sight in front of me. I'm mortified by the fact that I'm standing here in this strange house in just a t-shirt and boxers. I don't know what's worse, not knowing whose clothes and house I'm in, or not remembering how I got here.

I look up and see all three sets of eyes trained on me.

_Oh, crap!_

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><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading. As I said before, hit that review button. It really means so much to me to read your thoughts. <strong>


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